Who We Are

I have always been interested in design, form, and function. Early on my glass art was greatly influenced by architect, Mies Van der Rohe and his philosophy that less is more. Beauty exists in any object. In an attempt to maximize on clean lines of a piece and allow the radiance to shine through, I have experimented with many art forms. During my journey, I discovered my true love for glass blowing.

Since then, I have studied under many of the best and talented glass artists at the Pratt Fine Arts Studio in Seattle where I had the pleasure of working with Kathrine Gray, Sabrina Knowles, Jennifer Pohlman, Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen and Mitchell Gaudet who have all shared their love of glass and glass techniques with me.

I also had the honor of studying New Bohemia glass techniques with Master Glassblower Josef Zubac. I studied Italian and Swedish techniques with John Collins and Denis Mullens.

I have always believed that life and art are on the job training, so as my life progresses so does my art. In recent years I have used my glass art to help raise money for various charities, a passion that has grown and one I continue to expand.

I have always been a person who loves to work with my hands, from wood working to Glass blowing, I enjoy the process.

I have had the honor of studying New Bohemia glass techniques with Master Glassblower Josef Zubac.

In 1999 I was given a Christmas gift that would change my life forever. Juliana, my wife, had hung a mysterious red envelope from the Christmas tree. In it was a gift certificate for glassblowing classes. From the moment I stepped into the hot shop I was hooked.

I have continued to pursue and improve my skill at this ancient craft through courses at Pratt Fine Arts Center, Seattle Glassblowing and Uptown Glassworks. I have recently displayed my art in galleries throughout Washington State and Italy. I passionately support local charities including Pilchuck Glass School, Schmitz Park Elementary, West Seattle High School and numerous other local non-profit organizations. The annual glass pumpkin sale at West Seattle High School is quickly becoming the highlight of my year.

I am thrilled to be a part of Renton Art & Glass Studio. This is the most amazing studio and this team of artists has an incredible level of skill and passion. It’s quite exciting to be part of this creative endeavor.

I hope you enjoy our gallery and studio and you find some special pieces of art glass that speak to you!

The first time I went to Pilchuck Glass School an artist friend asked me how I started blowing glass. I told him that I sold my “soccer Mom” car for $700…

I have always loved making art. As a child it was my favorite hobby. As a teen and young adult, I chose electives and signed up for workshops and programs that included painting, drawing, weaving, pottery, wire sculpture, woodworking, and more. And when my twin sons were born, a new wave of arts and crafts making took over me but I never seemed to have the time or money to take the kind of art classes I used to. That was true until my children left for college and I sold my “soccer Mom” car…

I decided to use that money to take an art class. Since Seattle had so many glass artists, displaying their work all over the city, I decided to try glassblowing. I was thrilled when I learned about the Pratt Fine Arts Center and their 8 week class for $700. I thought it would be perfect and it was!

The first night of class, with my first teacher, and my first partner, I fell in love with glassblowing. I had no idea what I had signed up for because I had never seen glassblowing before. But the heat, the glow, the movement and flow of the hot glass, the light, and the sparkle….the possibilities of what one could do with hot glass seemed endless and we were only working with clear. I couldn’t wait until they let us use color.

Today, almost 8 years later, I still feel the same way about blowing glass that I did that first night. I love how much there is to learn and the challenge of trying something new. I’ve added teaching to my glassblowing activities so I can share the excitement with others who are trying glassblowing for the first time. Whether I’m teaching or practicing a new skill, shape, or color technique, every aspect of the process excites me. I even enjoy the time involved in the process of creating each piece. Each project includes drawing and designing the piece, choosing the colors and patterns, creating the parts, setting up the parts and, finally, executing the full piece to the final stages which usually involves some level of grinding, polishing, sandblasting, or engraving.

My pieces, whether simple or complex, are always made with color. I employ Venetian techniques such as cane, murrini, and incalmo. Many of my pieces are functional vessels made to be used and enjoyed rather than simply viewed. More recently I’ve been experimenting with hot glass sculpture. Whatever the functional purpose of my pieces, I think it’s important that people interact with my work. I like people like them to see, feel, and hold my glass pieces so they can fully appreciate them. Because of this, I prefer not to be the one to choose a piece for a client or friend. I believe each piece should evoke a feeling or emotion without words and that the person it is truly meant for will find it.

I design my pieces by matching the right form with the ideal surface, color, or pattern. Even after careful planning, I will often see new forms emerging from the ones I am currently creating. Exciting new possibilities also open up through experimentation and collaboration with others. Pilchuck Glass School and the Pratt Fine Arts Center have been instrumental in exposing me to new ideas and techniques and introducing me to the community of glass artists that I so respect and appreciate being able to work with and learn from. It took me a while to discover glassblowing, but now that I have, I will continue to learn about, design, teach, and create glass art as much as I can for as long as I can.