Artist Statement
More and more, I steal time at the shore, collecting my favorite treasures from the sea.
Soft, willowing, subtilely patterned shells follow me home from my excursions along with many pieces of sand smoothed, brightly colored, beach glass.
Having these objects displayed in my workspace helps me to balance the noise and stress that has become part of every day life, by recalling the simplicity and beauty of my experiences at the edge of the land.
In my studio, glass, much like the sea glass I have caressed in my pocket, is combined with the graceful forms of seashells, not in attempt to recreate these treasures; but rather to capture the essence of that place and time.
These works are a tribute to the memories and spirit of the shore.
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The sculptures are created using a multistep process.
Small pieces of glass are fused in a kiln, forming the visual patterns of color.
The resulting form is removed and sculpted, by sand blasting, to to create soft curves and reveal caverns and tunnels within the piece.
It is, then, returned to the kiln with additional glass where it is melted and draped again to enhance its shape and surface.
The finished pieces are often the product of 6 or more repetitions of this process.
