When I attended Alfred University, I loved studying art history. Abstract expressionist painters such as Claude Monet, Joan Miro, Jackson Pollock, and Wassily Kandinsky made a big impression on my approach to glass art.
The color palette of Atlantis was inspired by Claude Monet's Water Lily paintings. He spent the last 30 years of his life devoted to studying the colors of his beloved garden in Giverny, France.
Here in Vermont, the cold grip of winter has melted into spring. Vernal pools are beginning to appear in our woods once again. These ephemeral pools foster woodland life and are important players in our local ecosystem.
Atlantis Emperor Bowl, private collectionMonet used paint to convey the shifting light and mood of his gardens. I approach glass in a painterly fashion, applying layers of colored glass powders and hand pulled glass canes.
I apply shimmering silver leaf to the composition, a process that requires careful heating and cooling of the molten glass. This ensures the precious metal doesn't melt when sandwiched between layers of thick glass. The top of the Emperor Bowl is ground and polished by hand. This process reveals the interior layers of green and blue glass, like ripples on a pond.
Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art website for more information on Monet's inspirations and process.