I was born in 1956 in the Wonder Bread suburbs of NJ. Allen Ginsberg’s Howl was being read in coffee houses in Greenwich Village and the broken toothed skyline of New York City was my eastern view. On a hot summer night I could almost hear the jazz blowing across the Hudson River . I steeped in this potent liquor for 18 years then got on a Greyhound bus. The trip hasn’t ended.
I have always liked to be busy, and glass has been receptive to my caffeinated activities. My vitreous explorations began 39 years ago with stained glass. In 1990 I spent a summer at the Pilchuck glass school and learned many new techniques, among them kiln and torch work, neon and glass blowing. I got back to my studio and immediately changed direction, focusing on the more arcane aspects of kiln forming. This new avenue lead to the creation and marketing of a line of glass gift ware that I sold nationally for about 33 years. My work is on every continent, including Antarctica (really! There's a story behind that), and was sold in hundreds of venues across the country. I retired that aspect of my studio in 2016. While I stopped doing production kiln work, I continue to make one-offs and experiment. My background as an electronics technician has contributed to the skills I need in this endeavor, including equipment fabrication, precise record keeping and an experimental approach to problem solving. Kiln forming glass is best done with half intuition and half databases. I also maintain an active stained glass studio with a focus on historic restorations for churches, residences, historic landmarks, etc. I design and build commissioned windows, lighting and sculptures. I am a glass painter, a lesser known skill in an already obscure field. I have taught for decades and host classes at my studio, typically on Saturdays. I have also taught various after school programs, specialty one day workshops, programs in local high schools and special in-house teaching events. I am invited to teach at various glass programs across the country from time to time. In my work, the creative spirit must have a friend in the scientific mind, so I am always trying to cultivate both. My designs are informed by my beliefs as a Quaker. The inner light shines in us all, each with its own unique spectrum. I am inspired by the grand wonders of the cosmos as well as the pedestrian occurrences that fill my day. Epiphanies can come from a sunset, or a good cup of coffee. When not in my studio I am spending time with family, improvisationally cooking, practicing primitive technologies and hiking in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of central NY. I am never bored. |