“When I work with hot glass, I enjoy seeing the fluid movement of glass, seeing something not exactly alive, but it becomes alive. There is an immediate gratification from working with a method that doesn’t take weeks to see the end result. Working with hot glass is so much in the moment.
My inspiration comes from nature, and I create a lot of sea life pieces. The beauty of nature has always spoken to me and has been dear to my heart. I also find inspiration in fantasy and thinking outside the box. Fantasy comes from a dream world, being able to transform images to glass. I’ve always like the saying that ‘the creative adult is the inner child that survived.’
Hot glass actually found me. As I worked as a cabinet maker and started to switch to hot glass, the energy and satisfaction worked for me. That was the period when the glass found me.
I’ve been working with glass for 14 years, and mostly learned by reading books and magazines, and watching videos.
Inspired by nature and fantasy, my beads, marbles and sculptures are created one at a time using lampworking techniques. I strive to make each piece unique.”
Roger teaches lampworking classes, including advanced bead making skills using Moretti Italian glass. He teaches students how he creates the cute lizards and frogs that he adds to his beads to help them understand soft glass sculpture. He also teaches the use of borosilicate glass for bead making and sculpture.
Roger is now vice-president of the Wasatch Area Lampwork Artists.
 When Mary Young isn’t working on glass, she’s making the worlds most delicious chocolates! Mary also serves as the Glass Art Guild Secretary. |