Debra  J. Designs in Glass

Glass Artist : Debra Jo VanTol 

Art glass...as a solid... the sparkle, the color, the shine, the transmission of light, the refraction of light delights my soul.  And in the heated state...the intense heat radiating from a red-orange pliable mass of glass makes my adrenaline rise. 

 

I love glass.  And… I love water, whether it is the fury of a stormy sea or the tranquility of a graceful flowing brook.  The qualities of glass allow me to abstractly represent water in a permanent representation that is very characteristic of water.

 

Sheet glass, in the heated state, by means of manual sculpting and raking can capture watery movement permanently while the transparency of glass mimics water's crystal luster. 

 

Graceful pulls in the glass and the soft edge sculpting are very pronounced in my work.  The viscosity of glass at 1500 degrees makes the technique capable.  The unique edge and surface texture coupled with an attractive mix of iridescent glass, dichroic glass, and 20K gold create wonderful and unusual glass creations for all to enjoy.

 

Impressionistic landscapes and waterscapes are the focus of many mixed medium sculptures of copper and glass.  The serenity of a landscape or the turbulence of water is captured in glass.          

 

Then and Now:

Glass has captured my interest for a long time, since 1979.  As with all artists, an evolutionary style emerges after a period of exploration of a medium.  In my case my style evolved from the traditional form of stained and leaded glass and a desire to create three-dimensional forms.  In the beginning, I only slumped (bent) glass; then I found I could bond glass by heat.  The desire to create unusual dimensional forms coupled with self made learning experiences, art classes (especially experience with ceramics), and a degree in Interior Design brings me to the surface and edge sculpted forms you see before you.

 

Today I enjoy working in my studio with my husband to create unusual kiln formed glass creations.  I can hardly contain my excitement as I create larger and more expressive glass work with my glass cutter, kilns, and torches. 

 

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