Paul Messink, Glass Artist
I have always been fascinated by glass, particularly as art.

Glass flows when hot, bends when warm, and shatters when cold. It
can be cut, fused, blown, heated in a torch, and cast into sculptural
objects. Clear or colored, transparent or opaque, glass has
properties unlike any other material.

Nature provides an abundance of colors and forms that can be
rendered in glass. Faces are unique expressions of the diversity of
human life and experience, and these too can be expressed through
the remarkable properties of glass.

My challenge as an artist is to shape glass into objects that reflect
the world around me.
Elegant, Artistic Glass
I have been interested in glass art for a long time, but I started as a
glass artist in 2003 when my partner paid for a lampwork class as a
birthday gift. I have since worked in lampwork, blown glass, and
most recently, kiln-formed (or "fused") glass.

I believe that the glass medium is unique – it includes elements of
light and shadow, color, sculptural form, and texture. The properties
that hot glass takes on at various temperatures provide an unlimited
venue for an artist to explore new techniques and styles.

I am currently working on decorative sculptural art (butterflies, fish,
turtles, and other nature themes), as well as a variety of functional
art (plates, platters, and bowls).

Recent work also includes abstract glass art, using glass strips
fused into various patterns. These pieces can be hung on a wall,
hung in a window, or used as a screen to divide a room.
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