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Brenda Griffith was born and raised in Missoula, Montana, and christens her studio after a craggy, yet lush, terraced pass thru nearby Glacier Park. These design elements - geometric terraces laced by natural flourish - forged an early style, that continued to shine thru the stained, fused & slumped glass pieces featured in galleries and shows after her move to Chicago in the late 80's. Her time in Chicago infused Ms. Griffith's work with a strong Art Nouveau influence. Subsequent moves to Austin Texas and Atlanta Georgia have further refined her palette.
"I apprenticed with a stained glass artist for two years starting in 1985. During my tenure with her I was introduced to glass fusing and slumping and that, as they say, was all she wrote. Stained glass requires hard work, vision, technique and skill. There is very little luck and chaos inherent in the work. But glass fusing-heating glass until it becomes liquid and flows freely again, and encouraging it to flow into other pieces of glass and form something new...well, that's chaotic. Skill, hard work and technique have their places. Vision is required. But for a piece to turn out well takes a bit of luck too."
"It's important to me that my work be both beautiful and functional. I like to make plates, platters and bowls and I want the people who feel compelled to own them to also use them. To that end all of my pieces are food safe. They are mostly all dishwasher safe too, but I recommend hand washing them. None of them should be placed in the microwave (there are limits to my need for functionality)." |
