I am a Northwest glass artist in Washington. Fused glass is my second career, following years of work in the sciences. I studied glass fusing, lampworking, and kiln casting in the Seattle area, but am largely self-taught. I founded Bridger Glass Studio in 2005 for my glass art. My husband Michael Toelle is collaborator on the steel framing. All steel framing is of our original design and is forged, welded, worked, and finished. All of the art is unique, one of a kind, and original. I have exhibited at galleries in multiple states since 2004, and in major juried arts fairs in the Northwest since 2005.
Glass is a three dimensional fluid with a beautiful capacity for representing flow, or contrasts in opacity, translucence, sheen or iridescence. Many of my pieces reflect minimal designs that contrast texture or translucence. Abstract asymmetry is a theme throughout much of my work. In Window in Black, e.g., an asymmetric translucent window is tightly inlaid next to contrasting opaque glass. In my steel-framed-bowls, I often use the translucence of the glass or other design elements to engage with the steel. (See: Sample Pieces and Custom Glass)
My interest in glass for depicting movement and flow dates back to my early and continuing Cascade series which gives depth to multidirectional flows using layers of translucent glass. My boulder flow series abstracts tumbling rocks or boulders. (See: Sample Pieces)
My Landscapes and Polar Ice series depict
rivers of ice, grassy hillsides of melting snow, and polar
ocean waters. In the polar ice series, glass
emulates 3D deep ocean waters, unmelted subsurface ice
and ocean swells. (See: Wall Sculpture)
This work is original from concept to design to execution.
Glass itself is fluid and a
beautiful and natural medium for portraying ocean waters! The concept was
originally inspired by my daughter Kate O'Donnell's media work for the San
Francisco Exploratorium Ice Stories that was based on collaboration with
scientists studying the Arctic and Antarctic.
(See
http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/dispatches/about/)
I use these methods to create either mounted wall art or free standing
architectural sculptures.
Much of my work involves precise hand-cutting, grinding and detailing.
The glass is food-safe, even though the pieces are designed and intended for display.