Bright Light

My most recent creative opportunity was a month-long artist residency at Pratt Fine Arts Center in flameworking. This led to a new body of work that developed on its own as I showed up day to day to practice new techniques on the torch. It is impossible to explain the importance of this kind of creative exploration, to carve out time and space to make without expectation or need to produce. Pratt has been a pillar of my artistic development and time and time again allowed me opportunities to discover new materials and the ability to expand my skill set. This residency reminded me of the immeasurable value of community and many of the days it felt like coming home. It re-lit a fire in me that I did not know had gone out.

The vessels I was making bloomed and wilted and I started to see them evolve with the days and the weather. As they started to crowd the table, I realized they had a life all their own. They are impractical containers of precarious joy, uninhibited celebration, fragile beauty and sloppy decay. On Saturday, June 22, I will talk about the evolution of my work and what I see as the role of the artist in society and the current state of the world. I will also have my jewelry set up and available for purchase as well as a showcase of the goblets I made during the residency. This will be a great opportunity to get insight into the process and get an idea of what goes into sculpting glass at the torch.