Kilnformed Glass Art by Claudia Whitten
Spring, kiln formed deep bowl vessel
Featured artist Claudia Whitten creates kilnformed glass art in her studio in Challis, Idaho. Incorporating a variety of painting and coloring techniques into her works, Claudia makes ornamental vessels that combine painting, sculpture and glass art.
I really like Claudia’s recent Aspens series, in which she renders spindly trees in a flattened, almost cartoon-like manner onto several differently shaped glass objects. Some of these objects are traditionally functional forms like plates and bowls, while others are simply shaped glass meant to be painted on and admired. The simple, earthy colour scheme of these works beautifully offsets the white of the trees for visually appealing contrast. The use of trees as a motif in glass reminds me of the work of Laura Dawson.
Some of Claudia’s works take a more abstract approach to decoration, such as her series of earthenware vessels. These wide, squat vases are beautifully shaped and feature lines and dots of monochrome paint, giving each one a unified yet subtle colouration.
