Jennifer Umphress fascination with aquatic life began while she was living in Hawaii, where she spent much of her free time diving and snorkeling. The multitude of sea life inspired Umphress to capture their forms in glass, but she was drawn to the motion and biology of the creatures even more than the animals themselves.
The lines, shapes and tableaux made by the organisms while moving or swimming created a welcome challenge. "I have worked with cold glass and other medium...but once I discovered the rush of creating with constant motion and having time only to feel not think or plan my piece, I was completely captivated," says Umphress. "With glass, if you fight it, it shows. If you let it go its own way it takes on its own shape, the way it wants to be. I love being right in the moment, and creating creatures who are caught right in the middle of their movement."
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