First, an admission: I consider myself to be a craftsman foremost, and an artist only second (or third, or maybe very little at all, if truth be told).

I employ a palette of techniques related to fused (a.k.a. "warm", "kiln-formed") glass, and I am committed to executing them effectively and with great co-ordination. These techniques include: the construction of pattern bars, the application of precious metal foils, inks and enamels, inclusions, the manipulation of molten glass through combing, use of dichroic and iridescent coated glasses, abrasive etching and carving, etc., etc.

To a craftsman, the process is paramount and in creating a fused glass piece, many processes are used. Each can be conducted poorly, adequately, or well. I enjoy all the processes (particularly cold working) start to finish, and go to great lengths to do them better than the next ‘guy’. I believe the effort shows; I welcome comparisons. I tend to favor projects which highlight the attention to detail I invest in these pieces.

And when I design them, I try to make them attractive and interesting.

Another admission: unlike some others, I don’t have a vision of the world or an emotion which I try to express through my glass works. And while I have been well trained and modestly accomplished in some areas, they’re entirely unrelated to glass.

I am largely self-taught but have a drive to expand and refine my repertoire. I’m a guy with a wife, two kids and a dog who is fortunate enough to live comfortably and to not suffer the degree or range of angst which seems a characteristic of many of the greats. My work isn’t intended to say anything.

Instead, I have a personal artistic sense/style which some find attractive, and to which I cater when I chose my colors/patterns/materials etc. Sometimes, I listen to my wife. The motifs I occasionally employ in a series, e.g. Native America pictograms, Asian characters, etc. are chosen because they please my eye and convey, to me, a sense of subtle spirituality.

I hope my work pleases your eye as well (spiritually, you’re on your own).

Rorschach Tiles

Hermann Rorschach (1884-1992) was a Zurich-born psychologist whose eponymous test has become one of the best recognized and most highly regarded psycho-diagnostic tools currently in use. In short, his test comprises 10 cards, each illustrating a different, lightly colored inkblot, one key of which is its left/right-facing symmetry. The subject is instructed to look closely at these cards/images and describe what they “see”, the answers to which are supposed to be indicative of one’s personality.

Rorschach Tiles are fused glass elements constructed through a multi-stage process which includes heating, blending, cooling, cutting and reconstructing shards of colored COE-compatible glass. These tiles tend to be far more colorful and highly figured than the printed inkblots after which they are named, but they are similarly characterized by very irregular yet pleasingly symmetrical left/right-facing patterns, similar to a pair of "butterfly wings" (what does that say about my personality?). Additionally, the pieces tend to also display the graceful curves and subtle color blends of a traditional pot melt and the exquisitely detailed, finely-feathered lines associated with combing. Because the striking color combinations and rich detail often elicits close and imaginative inspection, Rorschach Tiles are typically used as the center- or focal-point(s) of a larger piece of fused glass art.