mission statement of a local St. Pete artist

VISION

Seeing things in my own way and knowing that I have the skills to create these glass sculptures brings my VISION into existence. Each piece reflects my love for sun, sand, sea, and the natural world and my VISION drives my CREATIVITY!

CREATIVITY

Resourcefulness, vision, and my unique perspective on life fuels my CREATIVITY. Pushing myself to work in a physically challenging space and industry builds my endurance, determination, and STRENGTH.

STRENGTH

The laser focus needed to create my artwork requires STRENGTH of mind, body, and spirit and is essential to maintaining and building my business and professional brand. The relationships that I develop along the way makes this lifelong journey all worthwhile!

ARTIST BIO

I was born in the Chicago area and moved to Florida at the age of 15 with her family. After high school, I was introduced to flameworking watching someone in a local mall, and quickly discovered I was drawn to this unique artform. With an interest in being an entrepreneur and having success as an award-winning marketing student, I moved to St Croix, US Virgin Islands at the age of 19 to pursue flameworking and to open my first gift shop featuring one-of-a-kind sea life themed glass work, with a demo area out front where we made small sculptures in front of tourists. After 4 years in the islands, I returned to Florida and continued practicing and perfecting my skills behind the torch. I quickly grew my first business, the Glass Menagerie. During this time, I immersed myself in my work while raising my 2 sons, Zach and Jonathan. Between 2000-2022, I expanded my business by offering my artwork to several galleries, gift shops, and museums in Florida including the Dali Museum, the Imagine Museum, and the Morean Glass Studio and exhibited in numerous art shows throughout the state.

A couple of years ago I bought a larger torch, the Kobuki by GTT, and kept working hard to improve my skills and techniques in offering larger, one-of-a-kind centerpieces that showcase my signature coral and gemstone mountings with 22kt gold and white gold trim. I took the next step, once again in 2023, and incorporated to become Cech Glass Creations, Inc. My website, MelanieCechGlass.com has been a labor of love over the years.

One of my signature designs, the Nautilus with Glass Tendrils, represents the fluidity of glass and nature, and how I've grown and developed as an artist over so many years. I believe it is a must have in your collection! (SEE DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF NAUTILUS ON THIS PAGE BELOW) In the past few years, along with teaching in-person classes at the Morean glass studio, I began work on a virtual online series of classes titled, “Beginning Techniques in Flameworked Glass Sculpture”, which will be launched and available by the end of 2025. Melanie Cech Glass - Glass Artwork Shop, Online Glass Store I also am working with my apprentice locally behind the scenes to help develop her skills in learning flameworking. I continue to work hard every day to bring my vision, inspiration, and creative spirit to the community by collaborating and connecting with local women’s groups, aspiring artists, and visitors to the Tampa Bay area.

Melanie Cech Sumner - Owner of Cech Glass Creations, inc. and master flamework sculpture artist

"The Nautilus"

"The Nautilus design is a symbol of life, harmony, and the perfection of nature. The Nautilus shell evokes a sense of mystery and awe. The chambers of the Nautilus shell are symbolic of growth, evolution, expansion and renewal -- the stages each person passes through life. The spiral itself is a symbol of creation, movement, fluidity and evolution. It reveals the cyclical nature of life and the relationship between unity and multiplicity. With no beginning and no end, the spiral curls eternally inward and eternally outward with continual self-creation. As a path, the spiral is both the journey home to who we really are, and the journey to be one who we will become, for they are one and the same.

It's spiral structure displays perfect mathematical proportion, sometimes called the Golden Mean or the Fibonacci Sequence. The Golden Mean number is also known as PHI. The unique thing about the Golden Mean is that it can be found incorporated in all known organic structures. Viewing the proportions of the Nautilus give us a serene sense of balance and well-being. The Golden Mean number is widely used in art, architecture, and religious symbols. It reminds us that subtle changes, one after the other, bring big results."