Hello, my name is John and I live in the small town of Freestone in
Northern California in a small cottage on five acres. I share this
space with various reptiles, my Chihuahua (my most favorite “Little Boy
Dog”) named “Kazu” (pronounced Kazoo) and my cat, “Mister”.
I’ve been an artist my whole life, working in various media, including
Ceramics, Gourds, Basket weaving, and many other art forms.
Over the last several years, my whole life has been centered around “Lampworking” (playing with hot glass in a torch).
I have enjoyed taking classes with some of the best glass artists I
could find, including many classes with Loren Stump. Loren is a
wonderful teacher and amazing glass artist, and has helped take my
glass working skills to a higher level.
I have also had the opportunity to spend some time in Murano, Italy, and study with Lucio Bubacco and Vittorio Constantini.
I belong to a local glass beadmakers group and have become a member of ISGB (International Society of Glass Beadmakers).
I am also a member of and frequent visitor to several online forums for
glass artists, where we ask questions, share inspiration and
information about everything from safety to glassworking techniques.
This art form is so amazing to me, because I love the way so much of this work happens in the “heat of the moment”.
I also enjoy the Mad Scientist aspect of working with the glass, as you
never know when what you thought was a mistake will become your next
new design idea.
On some level, this all seems like a dream come true. When I was a kid,
I had a collection of glass animals. I would stand in front of those
booths watching the glass artists create those amazing little figures,
only to have the hardest time picking out the next addition to my
collection. It is hard to believe that I now make glass objects myself
and have the wonderful opportunity to share the magic with others.
Thank you for stopping by and finding out a little bit more about me and my artwork.
If you have any questions or just want to say hello, I would love to hear from you.
Peace,
John
