Forged by Fire
I have been enamored by the process and transformation of natural material into usable and beautiful objects. I love working with molten glass, the heat, the fluidity, how quickly it changes, how it can be both a solid and a liquid. I love the process of working with clay for similar reasons. The first time I watched my instructor at the pottery wheel I was entranced. A lump of mud quickly turned into a beautiful pitcher just from the force of his hands, the spinning of the wheel, and a little water. It was magical. I also love the feel of clay in my hands.
Both glass and ceramics undergo intense heat in order to be transformed into a finished product. With glass it is constantly exposed to flame and heat while working with it to make it malleable. When the piece is completed it enters an annealer (like a very large oven) to slowly bring it down to temperature. This keeps the glass from cracking. A ceramic piece is fired twice in a kiln. Once to harden the clay, and again to melt and transform the painted glaze to glass.
I am inspired by many things around me. I love to notice the colors, textures and forms in nature, and I enjoy the endless patterns I can create from mixing these. Glazes and glass colors are magical, you can combine them to get unpredictable effects. I love my ability to just really play with these mediums.