My art is the culmination of some of the best and worst times of my life, combined with the mastery of skills, of craft, and the attempt to manipulate light in ways that no one expects. My fascination with light has been a lifelong thing that is evident in every piece I make. When I start a new piece, my desire is to control the light, and therefore the appearance of the piece, in a way that beckons you to see more around the corner and surprises at each turn. Much of my artistic journey stems from my desire to produce pleasing shapes that flow, reflect and refract the light, like that little spot on the horizon that catches your eye, making you keep looking back to watch it dance on the edge. I strive for technical perfection and attention to detail on every piece knowing full well I may never reach that goal but the journey is part of the fun.Working with glass over the years I have found it has many different personalities and properties. It is versatile, frustrating, beautiful, surprising and sometimes unpredictable. My inspiration comes from my desire to continually investigate new techniques and stretch the abilities of glass. The end result is so satisfying. One of my favorite things to play with is the manipulation of negative space. Quite a powerful element when used correctly. Often it is the major element that explains the "story" of my sculpture; most notably, my "Tear For Henry" which I dedicated to my father. I have learned that inspiration can come at the most inopportune times in life, and you just have to let it flow through you. Some pieces are a direct reference to an exact moment in my life, while others are reflections of finely tuning my craft, exercising painstaking detail, and attempting absolute perfection of the process. I love working with glass knowing that one wrong move could send the piece flying into many pieces on the floor or one rare gem ready to be displayed on its pedestal! Credits *Born November 21, 1951 Los Angeles California *Living in San Diego since 1957 Education and Experience *High School: San Diego *Mesa College San Diego, Architecture *Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Architecture Studies - Engineering, Physics and Mathematics *Self-Taught Artist *Ruben H Fleet consultant *Wine Friday Workshops *Art Glass Association workshops *Apprenticeship, Lowry's Hot Glass, Old Town *2000: National Science Foundation Grant for Holographic Research *1974: Cal Poly Architecture & Design *Mentor for Eagle Scout glass art Art Exhibitions 2018: Palm Beach Art Show, Florida 2017: Context, Miami 2017: SOFA, Chicago 2017: International Art Show, Boston 2017: ACA Fine Art Contest & Exhibit Cincinnati, OH 2017: Cube Art Fair: The American Art Fair of Brussels, Belgium 2017: Palm Beach Art Show, Florida 2016: Art Hamptons 2016: Palm Beach Art Show, Florida 2015: SOFA, Chicago 2015: AiBo, New York 2015: Waldorf Astoria Collection 2010: Hallmark Gallery, La Jolla CA 2008: Freed Gallery. Oregon 2007: Solo Exhibition: Collectors, Fine Art Las Vegas NV 2006: Solo Exhibition: Collectors Fine Art of Kauai HI 2004: Solo Exhibition Artisia , Vail Colorado 2004: Solo Exhibition: Le Jardin Des Arts, Denver CO 2003: Solo Exhibition: Artesia, Vail CO 2002: Solo Exhibition: Reflections, Palm Springs CA 1993: Lane Gallery, San Diego, CA Publications *Arabella, Canadian Art, Architecture & Design *Schiffer Publications, Fall/Spring 2016 Glass Art Awards & Honors 2017: ADC Honorable Mention- A Tear for Henry 2012: People's Choice Award, Southern California, Glass Art Society 1994: Award of Merit, San Diego Art Institute 1993: Best in show, San Diego Art Institute Works Commissioned By 2017: Rayotek San Diego CA 2016: Kaiser Permanente San Diego CA 2016: Rayotek San Diego CA 2016: David & Jean Laing Rancho San Diego CA 2011: Public Art Installation at The Law School of British Colombia? Vancouver BC 2009: Public Art Installation at Vantage Pointe San Diego CA 1997: Public Art Installation at The Hilton San Diego Bay *Featured artist donor for The Old Globe Theater for 20 years