In this fast-paced world it can be hard to remember to take a minute to stop, take a breath and let your mind roam. But when I'm in quiet, remote places away from the stimulation of machines and crowds, alone with just the sounds of birds and wind, I have a deeper experience of myself as a living being, connected to the natural world.
I'm inspired by that sense of connection. I create glass landscapes of quiet places from nothing but tiny particles of colored glass. Glass transformed by light is the perfect material for capturing the light and air of broad, open places.
Each landscape is constructed layer by layer: the distant hills; the planes of the middle ground; the details in the foreground.
After building each layer I fire the piece in the kiln to melt the particles together and bring out the colors of the landscape. Pieces will have five to ten layers when they are done, giving them a 3-D effect - a perfect reminder of the quiet places.
Steph
Steph Mader Steph@ToltRiverStudios.com 425-628-9032 Freeland, Washington Copyright 2015 Steph Mader. All rights reserved.
