All of my sculptures are designed, crafted, fired and finished in my workshop located just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina.  

 

Each work in my SHARDS series is free-formed with individually cut shards of glass that are carefully arranged and layered to create their fluid shapes. Constructed piece by piece and layer by layer, my process requires just the right balance of space and weight to ensure the sculpture fires properly while forming to its intended shape and size.

 

My CRYSTALLINE series is inspired by geodes and gemstones, combining the properties of uncut, natural stones and crystals with the brilliance of refined, polished jewels. Each sculpture is crafted with hand cut and crushed fragments of glass, sifted and layered in varied densities, shaping and forming as I go. Many of these works feature open cavities where I've allocated space in the design for the glass to stretch and drip as it becomes molten while still holding to the planned formation. This technique is my most difficult to get right. Constructing the piece is a meticulous process because my intentionally imbalanced areas have to be perfectly balanced within the overall design; if not, the sculpture risks collapse during the firing process. 

 

Depending on complexity, it typically takes 1 to 3 weeks to complete a single sculpture from concept, design, construction, firing cycles, and the finishing process. Each one is an individually crafted work of art; no two are ever exactly alike.

 

With all of my works, forecasting how the glass will pull, expand, and meld during the heating and cooling cycles is essential from the start. I'm working backwards through a creative process that requires both prediction and precision. Sometimes I get it right and sometimes I don't, but the risk of failure never outweighs my love for the challenge.