Artist Bio
I was born in the Chicago area, but quickly learned that the cold wasn't for me, so at age 15, my family and I moved to Florida. After graduating Countryside High School in 1989, I moved to the US Virgin Islands, where I fell in love with the art of flameworking. I opened and operated my first retail store, The Glass Gallery, in St. Croix. US Virgin Islands. When returning to Florida in 1994, I worked as the onsite glassblower at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, practicing techniques behind the torch while customers and tourists watched and were mezmerized by the flame. During this time I built and grew my business, then called The Glass Menagerie, now Cech Glass. Since then I've been exhibiting at art shows throughout Florida, have expanded my product line, and have been developing workshops and apprenticeship programs in flameworking.
I have been a flamework glass artist for more than 30 years and love being able to share my talent with others. I have spent thousands of hours behind the torch learning and working at perfecting my art..........this journey has truly been a labor of love! I currently live and work in St. Pete, Florida and absolutely love the warm weather, the beach and the growing, downtown St. Pete arts community!
Awards
- 2015 - Award of Distinction, Tarpon Springs Fine Art Festival, FL
- 2014 - Honorable Mention, 3D Sculpture, Delray Affair, Delray Beach, FL
- 2012 - 2nd Place, Wearable Art, Delray Affair, Delray, FL
- 2007 - 2nd Place, 3-Dimensional Sculpture, Sanibel, FL
- 2007 - Merit Award Fine Arts Veranda Park, Orlando, FL
- 2002 - Award of Distinction
Hernando County Fine Arts Council, Brooksville, FL
"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."