Glass is an amazing material. It has the ability to appear both hard and soft, it is strong and fragile, it can be opaque and transparent, colored and clear, and can appear static and fluid. Working with glass, particularly in its molten state, for me, is a fascinating thing. It can be physically exhausting, hot, frustrating, hard work that demands a lot of focus. When I am in the studio, I feel up to the challenge. My worries from everyday life disappear. When I have been out of the shop for long stretches I do not feel right. I crave the heat of the furnace and a blowpipe in my hand.
The most current series of work, Soft Cubes, grew out of a desire to make a form that, without use of a mold, does not lend itself easily to the nature of glass blowing. Blown glass wants to be round. To make it square requires a fair amount of work. While I always push for superior craftsmanship, perfection is not the goal. Through exploration of the form, I have come to embrace the soft edges and rounded corners that occur as the glass tries to retain its naturally round form. I never thought that by trying to think outside the box, I would end up with a cube.
Artist's exhibition "Soft Geometry" Vetri Seattle May 2011
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