Glass Art
Not by choice, as a kid I attended a Baptist kindergarten. I used to get in trouble for things like picking up rocks on the playground and throwing them, and being too competitive at musical chairs, once pushing a boy aside (ok, down) to win first place. Worst of all, I colored too loudly. Yes, I liked to color, and color hard. I liked solid deep color, with lots of black thrown in. Crayons turned out to be the wrong medium for me. I made way too much noise.
There are quite a few artists in my extended family, one of them being my uncle (Bob Tinsley) who was an architect in Atlanta. He took up stained glass as a hobby and made beautiful leaded windows, lamps, and mirrors. I spent a lot of time with him and his family during my years at Emory University (I still remember those great broiled shrimp and grilled steak dinners!), and Uncle Bobby inspired me in many ways, with his lively imagination and need to work with his hands, as well as his eternal love for beauty (most certainly inspired by his dazzling wife, Gloria, for as a couple they were one of the finest examples I ever knew of two people in love).
When I got to New York, I looked for an artist who held classes in glass art, and eventually found Ernest Porcelli in Brooklyn. In his studio, Ernest gives you plenty of freedom to do what you want, once he sees you're not going to slice your arm off.
I like to rummage through barrels of glass scraps (usually making a lot of noise) and quietly create collages to fuse into plates. I've sold quite a few, and given some away. Here are a few samples:
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