Diane Allison

Diane’s earlier fascination with visual and emotional effects of light and color through photography and painting has further evolved in her coldworking glass pieces. In 2019 Diane fell in love with coldworking glass processes while studying with Kent Lauer. The joy of coldworking comes from the hand processes and the transformation of the piece as she works. While hand shaping a piece Diane keeps thinking about what it could turn into, a creative challenge throughout the process. She prefers to let the glass itself dictate the final piece, exploring the infinite range of paradoxes: glass is fragile and solid, transparent and opaque, refractive and reflective. Colors within each piece span the entire spectrum created by layers of ultra-clear optic glass, profusion, and dichroic glass. Some of the glass Diane uses is no longer available truly making several pendants one of a kind. Old Lighthouse Lenses are the main component glass used in her Sailing Sculpture series. Cold working is technically defined as changing the shape or surface texture of glass. This is done through a series of tools and techniques that create a very fun challenge. Grinding and polishing with tight tolerances is balanced with artistry. The result is a set of refractive indexes that cast and reflect colors at the same time, continually changing the viewer’s experience. Each glass piece allows the viewer to experience the full color spectrum and range of emotions from yellow serenity to orange high energy, from blue remoteness and cold to red enveloping and warmth, from purple restless to green soothing. Although Diane has won Merit and Best of Show awards, success to Diane occurs when the glass piece captivates the viewer’s imagination and encourages him to rediscover something new each time he looks into it. Glass is an incredible material to work with and Diane’s goal is to give the viewer an amazing experience.