The Artist in Me

glass-dressMy artistic life has been one of pure evolution.
 My grandmother was a potter and strong supporter of my art. She taught 
me center.

I found color in paint, line in charcoal and graduated with an A.A. degree in fine art (painting) from Ventura Community College, California. Always being a traveler I continued my education at the Bellas Artes in San Miguel de Allende and in Oaxaca, Mexico. Along with the rigorous study in painting/drawing I enjoyed absorbing the Mexican culture as well as the language.
 In 1989 I lived in Seattle, Washington and was introduced to fire and the torch by Charlie Anders at Pratt Fine Art Center, learning the techniques of silver jewelry making. Jewelry introduced me to the third dimension and the exciting dynamic of the flame.

Segue into my glass blowing experience. The first gather had me hooked in 1994 at Rogue Valley Community College, Oregon in a workshop with Ed Broadfield out of his mobile hot shop.

On a vacation in Jackson, Mississippi, I looked in the yellow pages under glass and there was “Susan Ford”, the only listing. She hired me on the spot and I packed up my life, moved to the south, where I assisted and designed in her glass blowing studio.

After moving back to California and renting time from a hot shop for another year, I ended up creating my own space. My own furnace roared in the foreground of my studio for 10 years. Being true to the integrity of my art rather than spending too much time and effort on the commercial was an amazing feat. I have developed and experimented as an artist and am known for the “painterly feel” of my choices of color as well as the “sensual” shapes in my blown glass and sculpture.

In Murano, Italy, I witnessed the making of solid glass sculpture by Dino Rosin, who I ended up studying with at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood WA. Solid working is an entirely different approach than the blown form. Heating the work, maneuvering the solid weight, and keeping the form is a challenge that I respect.

Incorporating my sewing with my skills as glassblower and sculptor has led to the creation of the “Glass Dress”, one of a kind wearable art which continues to inspire.

From My Life as a Glassblower