Kerry Transtrum

With ingredients born of the earth and conceived with fire the magnificent material known as glass is formed. This material used as an art form has inspired the direction of my work as an artist. Working in glass fulfills my life and hopefully provides pleasure to others. Through developing new glass-forming techniques, applying those techniques to my work, and teaching others, I hope to enlighten and delight those who view, possess, and create glass art for many years to come.

I love working with two different materials—something hard when it’s cold and something fluid when it’s hot. I love the way it feels, the way it looks, the way you can see through it, and the way it casts a shadow in color.
Artists who inspired or influenced me are Richard Whitely, Narsissis Quagliata, Monet, Van Gogh, and Salvadore Dali. I was taught by many masters of glass techniques and I have taken some of their ideas or techniques—a seed that was planted in me on how to do or look at something—and put my own spin on them to make adjustments that best suit what I want to say. In my teaching, I strive to give back to others interested in glass art what I have learned.

I work a lot with the human form…life and humanity. My favorite color is purple, and the qualities I enjoy are that it’s unusual, loud, the stepchild of the color spectrum—it’s kind of an outcast.

When people see my work, I’d like them to appreciate it for what it is…the emotion, the feeling much more than the technique or quality.

My goals are to create artwork full-time, create large-scale commissions, and teach glass art abroad.

Kerry can be contacted for private commissions or to teach classes in glass art at Glass Fire Studio, 1389 W. Silvercreek Dr., Layton, UT, 801-593-6797 or 801-698-1069, email: KGLASS90@aol.com. See more of his work on his website: www.glassfirestudio.com