This amazing joining of artistic evolutions highlights what happens when two artists truly complement each other’s styles, skills and strengths.
Carrie’s dedication to the consistency of the flower builds is magical; the blending of the colorways creates a literal and realistic feel that keeps the eye looking for the next detail. Jon’s ability to create something functional yet still make it a canvas to showcase an internal vision is always a shining light in his compositions. I think the artists put it best in their own words.
“This one really turned out amazing, and I worked hard to keep it organic, purposefully off-balancing the flowers in different areas and canting the face slightly. This series represents how art and inspiration can take over our worlds, engulfing us within it,” said Jon, better known as Shaggy. “I clustered 136 of Carrie’s freeze-cast flowers on top of one of my bottle vase pipes, leaving the fitting and mouthpiece slightly exposed to show how the pipe world is slowly emerging into the art world. For many years in our community, we have been hidden and looked down upon. Happily, over the years, we have begun to be accepted by the world as a whole.”
For Carrie, the collaboration has been a long time coming.
“I began working with glass in 2005, starting with soft glass at the furnace and a kiln-forming class in Napa, California,” she said. “This collaborative piece with Jon is something I’m particularly proud of. It combines both of our aesthetics and skill sets: my expertise in color mixing and kiln forming and Jon’s incredible artistic vision and mastery of glass. The technique I used here is usually reserved for soft glass, which makes working with borosilicate in this way so exciting — it challenges many of the traditional boundaries of glasswork. This approach allows for more control over color gradients and the blending of custom colors that aren’t typically found in borosilicate work.”
Valued at $10,000, this 9″×5″×5″ work of art was made entirely out of colors from Northstar Glassworks (@northstarglass) including Opaque Aqua, Lava, Cherry, Canary, Goldenrod and Black Jack.
“The intricate arrangement of succulents around the rig highlights the level of craftsmanship involved, with each one thoughtfully placed like a mosaic of flowers in a bouquet, creating a natural and vibrant effect,” Carrie said. “The warm gradients of oranges, reds and yellows add depth, making the piece not only a tool but a stunning visual centerpiece. To me, this piece represents a fusion of artistry and technique, pushing the limits of what glass can do. Whether it’s displayed as part of a collection or used for its intended purpose, it merges form and function, elevating both the experience and the appreciation of glass as an art form.”
