I began working in glass in 2005. After several years working out of Superior Glass on 22nd & Superior Ave, I opened my own studio (Burning River Glassworks) in 2007. My studio and gallery was located at 36th & Superior where I spent 10 years creating and collaborating with Cleveland artists. During this period I developed a technique whereby I would angle grind iron and allow the hot sparks to land on the surface of blown glass at which point the iron fuses to the surface of the glass. By using vinegar, salt and hydrogen peroxide a rust patina is created on the surface of the glass. This creates an unique juxtaposition between the smooth clean finish of glass with the industrial organic beauty of rust.
My sculpture series utilizes this rust patina to create fantastical objects that to the observer appear to made from metal. Only by carefully examining the piece does the underlying glass structure reveal itself. Using a sandblaster creates a third softer finish that melds with the clean glass finish and the industrial rust finish.
My wall panel series incorporates the concept of emergence. That is to say an overall design “emerges” for the combination of many small parts. Using the rust patina technique and sandblasting provides a rich palette of textures and colors to create the equivalent of a pixelated image where the thousands of individual glass pieces act as pixels in the large design.