Artist’s Statement

I arrived late to glass, yet started early. When I was four, I found a marble in the dirt while crawling around under the bushes. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, and at that moment I knew that glass would be my life's obsession.

Too bad I couldn't color between the lines.  In those days, the kids who couldn’t (or simply wouldn't) draw straight were directed into pursuits other than visual arts… music, drama, etc.  I discovered a talent for writing, eventually majoring in advertising and becoming a successful advertising and marketing executive. 

In July of 1990, I visited the Pilchuck Glass School, founded by Dale Chihuly.  I was in glass heaven.  Soon I became a volunteer at the school, and before long, I knew that my passion was glass and its unlimited potential for expression.  It started with a class here, a workshop there… by May, 2001 I had left the corporate world behind and have not looked back since.

As an artist working primarily in glass, I reinterpret ideas and images, symbols and stories through pictures, shapes, words, texture and color. My background in the commercial world makes me hyper-aware of the messages that we receive — as well as send — constantly throughout each day.

When I began using a photo-resist process to incorporate photographic imagery into my work, it was a turning point. I rely upon images and themes spanning from antiquity through contemporary pop culture. References to art history, literature and mythology may be found throughout my work. Drawing inspiration from diverse sources — anything from Michaelangelo to Andy Warhol — I try to reinterpret classical ideas and ideals in new ways.  Themes ranging from sexuality to spirituality underlie my work.

Possessing neither a Master’s degree, nor an art school background, I’m unencumbered by traditional expectations and conventions of what “glass art” is supposed to be. I create what I believe is beautiful and has deeper meaning. It is my passion to bring beauty and joy to others through my artwork.