Artist Statement

My glass pieces are created by heat fusing layers of glass in a kiln. I design my own sheet glass from cut, crushed, and torch-worked glass to create sheets of multiple colors, patterns, and textures. This glass is then fired and cut, and re-fired to create the elements in my finished glass collage work.

My approach to working with glass is slow, gentle, pensive, and quiet. Caring to preserve the 'ancientness' of the art form, I choose to use only hand tools in the creation of my work. Pieces evolve without drawing, and I allow the glass to speak for itself.   I prefer to avoid a machined look, and want my pieces to flow with an organic quality to the line.  The physical connection of my hands with the glass is very important to me. The weight, the layering and shaping, and the respectful handling of each piece satisfies my desire to develop a relationship with the work as it progresses.

My glass collages  strive to portray the subjective and ethereal sides of nature; a place, a feeling, a memory, a smell, a moment... Things that we all long for and imagine , but are intangible in reality. As the human spirit strives to 'remember' these things, my pieces ardently work to set them forth.

Atmosphere is a subject I tend to revisit often; as a result, the sun and moon have become prominent figures in many of my pieces. The quality of light as affected by their positions in different moments is magical, and worth noticing. My work speaks of these moments as valuable, yet free to the spirit who cares to pay attention.

I seek to emphasize and magnify the intrinsic ornamentation of the natural world, to give back some of the beauty we take for granted.  The conflict between nature and human desire for progress has always been, and nature's response to our movement has been gracefully steadfast.  My work's intent is to uphold nature's strength and resiliecy.

 Time- the essence of a second, and the idea of eternity are themes in nearly all of my work. A single moment, a breath, or a sound contrasted with that which is encompassed from the beginnings of time and through all generations is simply profound.  These pieces explore the ephemeral and the eternal. Trees and water are tangible symbols of the effects and persistence of time.   I am intrigued by the constant of these symbols and their ability to seen and pondered by so many generations past.

Very recently I began exploring different types of ethnic fabrics and how they are valued historically by the cultures from which they originate. Glass proves to be a challenging medium in this respect, and I am excited at the many possibilities that my experimentation has brought to the surface in recent months.