Collection: Summit Series

"Although much of the work I make has some connection with living and working in the mountains, I haven't really focused specifically on mountain imagery in the past.  I've been working on new ideas for mountain imagery for well over a year now.  The early pieces in this series were produced in early 2017.  Now, with some refinements and more exploration, I feel they are starting get where I really want them to be.

The process is an interesting one that rides the line between technique and intuition.  Glass can be a frustrating material to work with but also very rewarding when it comes together.  What makes these new pieces different from anything I've made in the past is the use of colour.  There is a lot of glass colour used in each of these pieces, as well, the colours are separated by layers of clear glass to maintain colour accuracy.  Using the clear to separate the colour also helps to give the sense of depth within the imagery.  Although I do have some control of how the colour is applied, there is definitely some guess work in trying to make it look like something specific.  Many of the manipulations of the colour are purely spur of the moment, intuitive movements.  As a result, this and the different chemistry in the varying colours of glass, nothing ever works out the same.  For me this is part of the excitement of each of these pieces." - Ryan Bavin
Summit Vase, hand made blown glass vase with mountain imagery of coloured glass embedded in the piece.