Thomas Spake

I find inspiration in the subtle yet mysterious beauty of our natural world. This beauty can be found in so many different places upon our planet, from the sandy ocean floor, to mountainous peaks and from the arid deserts to the lush jungles. I find glass to be a very impressionable material, so it has the ability to be transparent, translucent or opaque, giving it the capacity to mimic the world around us; water, clouds, rock, forests, mountains…. My current work is an exploration of texture and pattern. I begin by gathering molten glass on a blowpipe, and then fusing glass powders, frits, murrini, and stringers, to the glass surface. By using unconventional techniques along with the inherent chemistry of the metal oxides that formulate the colored glass, I am able to create very complex patterns that imitate natural objects or landscapes. My simple forms and shapes are intended to act as a canvas for the glasscapes to inhabit. However, the blowing process is only half of the journey. After being blown in the hotshop, the pieces are taken to the coldshop. In the coldshop the pieces are engraved, carved, or sandblasted in order to remove layers of color on surface and reveal the interior colors. In the final stage of creation, the piece is acid etched to give the surface a soft matte finish. My unique approach gives the work a tactile quality that offers the audience a treat for the eyes as well as the fingers, and with the blown vessels surface exposed, the soft glow of light is transmitted through the vessel, revealing the true nature of the material.