In June of 1978, I asked to spend the summer working at the Pilchuck Glass School, near Stanwood, WA. At the time I was operating a ceramics studio, manufacturing custom architectural designs for private homes. My experience with glass at the time, was limited to a couple of classes at college in the early seventies. I had no idea where that first summer at Pilchuck would lead.
Being the maintenance main for the first two summers, I took every opportunity to learn the technical aspects of manipulating the molten glass and improve my aesthetic sense with this new material. I was immediately seduced by its mystery and magic.
In the following years, I continued to involve myself at Pilchuck, not only in the regular summer sessions, but staying on to work during the fall, winter and spring, in the artist in residence program. This gave me the opportunity to work with other professional artists, an invaluable experience. Not only waslearning about to express my own ideas in glass and how to communicate these ideas with others. It’s imperative to work with others when working with molten glass and the team process became an intricate part of my thought process.
Through my contacts at Pilchuck I had the good fortune to study techniques with some of the world’s foremost glass masters. I developed a good sense of material and am a quick study in technique.
My focus today is less technical and more on aesthetics, concentrating on colour, composition and form. Currently, I’m working on two major styles of glass, the “Diamond Cut Series” and the “Shelter Series”.
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