Artist Statement

I started my journey in stained glass in a class at Glass Works in Saskatoon in 1981. I had always been excited by the interplay of colour and light through stained glass, and felt that this was the time to explore and develop my skills in this art form. Glass is a truly unique medium to view, and a challenge to work in. Since sunlight is ever changing in direction and intensity, so does a stained glass window's colours and vibrance. There is a life generated in a seedy hand-blown glass that can't be duplicated in other visual media. When you stand in the sunlight transformed by the stained glass's saturated colours, it might impact more than your visual senses.

The elements within my glass art are created by working with glass in a variety of ways:  glass blowing, fusing, casting, sandblasting, glass painting, lead sculpting, lead overlay, silver smithing, silk screening and glass plating methods. Many of these methods introduce fine detail and a three-dimensional perspective to the glasswork.

I have been exploring light and shadow by using traditional glass painting methods and dichroic metal coatings on hand-blown stained glass. Observed differences in line, form, colour and shape of the projected shadow image from the mounted glass piece are truly magical.  Throughout the glasswork and the mounting system design, I am striving to make the magic obvious to all. Examples of this work are shown in the  Melodic Conjunction  portfolio.

One body of my work is entitled Symbols. Symbols are all around us, providing information and direction in many of our day to day activities. However, many of ancient symbols have been secret or lost in time.  They can be symbols of protection, power, faith, or oracles to predict the fate of man. Many are a captivating script in their own right. From Reiki symbols of attunement to Viking runes, I am attempting to ferret out their meaning and purpose and bring them back into the light. Another symbol or sacred symbol that has been found in many cultures and faiths since the Bronze Age, is the labyrinth. They can be etched or otherwise created on the ground, or drawn in miniature on paper, stone, clay or glass. In their simplest form they connect to an ancient wisdom. Weather you walk it with your feet or your eye, your mind surrenders. Bringing you closer to the divine core within.

I also work with another stained glass artist collaborating with cartoon design and figure painting of icon figures for church stained glass windows and stained glass window repair.