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Seekers®
Glass Gallery presents the
work of Cynthia Myers, a talented artist who works exclusively in sand carved
glass vessels.
Artist’s
Statement:
“It's the light that fascinates me, the play of color and tone that
carving brings out in bending light. Glass is a wonderful medium in that it
plays with light, capturing it, reflecting it, sliding off a smooth surface and
penetrating through to reflect the etchings. I work hard to create a design that
will enhance the play of light with my glass. My deepest hope is that these
forms will have a function: to stop you during the passing of the day when the
light hits the work just so, and make you say: Oh that's so beautiful, it makes
me feel good.”
Cynthia
creates exquisite sand carved art glass in her studio on the remote and
beautiful Mendocino Coast of California. Her original designs feature floral and
animal themes, inspired by the abundance of natural beauty that surrounds her.
Each image is etched with extreme precision and meticulous attention to the
intricate details of the design. With an eye for subtlety and aspect, Cynthia
employs a shadowing technique that gives her artistry depth and dimension.
Since
establishing her own studio in 1986, she has developed an international
reputation for her sand carved glass vases, with their unusual motifs and
innovative cut-away rims.
The
engraving and carving process she uses dates back to the 1870s and involves
high-pressure etching with fine grain sand. The work is tedious, time consuming
and risky, since one mistake can destroy a piece.
Although
Cynthia may repeat themes, each work is unique, having been created to fit the
particular color and shape of the blank vase on which she is working.
“I
am privileged to work mostly with Blenko Glass, a company which for over 100
years has maintained the tradition of hand made glass in
America
.” Blenko makes the “blanks” on which Cynthia creates her art, much like
an artist works on blank canvases produced by a trusted source.
The
engraving begins with those areas to be most deeply cut and progresses to those
details that entail only a light surface frosting. All of her pieces are
handblown, individually drawn and sandblasted, signed and dated.
It was
by serendipity that Cynthia became a glass artist. In the early 1980’s, she
stood in her mother’s kitchen and saw something in the barnyard below which
would change her life. What she saw was a woman in a mask, wearing goggles,
gloves and using her father’s air compressor — sandblasting a huge glass
window.
“I
was instantly intrigued and wanted to do what she was doing,” Cynthia recalls.
Her love affair with glass had begun.
Of
course at the beginning the glass was barn finds: canning jars, old wine bottles
and stained glass panels. After working for a short time in the studios of two
master glass engravers, Valerie Surjan and Marialyce Hawke, she continued to
pursue learning her craft on her own.
Among
the many public and private collections in which her work is included are those
of Robert Young Vineyards; White Oak Winery; and author Jeff Sherra.
Cynthia
Myers’ work has been shown at museums, fine galleries and juried exhibitions
throughout the
United States
, including the
Mendocino
Art
Center
;
San Jose
State
University
; and the Boston Museum of Fine Art.
Cynthia's work is featured in collections and galleries in Europe,
Japan
, and the
United States
. She also creates original architectural pieces on commission.
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