It has been said that great art must seduce, shape, and more importantly evoke an emotion. Yes, there are rules of thumb that can be employed to arrive at a quality work of art: follow the Rule of Thirds formula, adhere to the 60-30-10 rule for color, or establish Balance by Isolation just to name a few. But in the end, if art is to be worthy of an investment, an emotional connection must resonate between the viewer and the art they are embracing.

One way I like to evoke emotion is with color. From an artist perspective, I feel that all colors are great on their own. However, some color combinations are classic, pleasing, and stand the test of time. Other combinations are just so strong they can’t be ignored. Their strength is not always because they are loud and scream ‘hey look at me’ — it is their elegant simplicity that demands attention. Each of these are valid examples of color and the power color has over our emotions. I devote a great deal of time and consideration when selecting color palettes for my glass art with the hope that the final piece will invigorate an emotional response.

Additionally, I also like to evoke emotion by incorporating tactile surfaces in my work. Years ago, I added aquarium gravel to gesso and discovered that people were just as interested in the tactile quality of the final painting as they were the painting itself. The chips of glass that I fuse to the S-curve glass sculptures, takes each one from being a flat two-dimensional piece of art to a multi-faceted work of art — evoking a desire to not only look at the art, but a desire to touch and feel the piece as well.

I love creating glass art and it gives me pleasure to create works of art that add beauty and culture to the environment they are placed in — be that a home, a business, or public space. But for me, true success is achieved when my work is able to seduce, shape, and evoke an emotional response.

I currently live and operate my studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan.