Client

Overview

The client wanted the effect of a green wall, maintenance free, with the illusion of an opening to the exterior. Light, shadow, and water splash through a dense glade of flowers, a happy encounter for those entering the lobby that could happen on a hike in the nearby lush countryside.
The reception desk depicts the shifting of light from day to night, when shadows and mist gather upon the ground, and the last fading glory of the sun dies away.
“Glade” is 8.5′ H x 11′ W, blown glass, acid etched, with fired vitreous enamels.
“Dusk” is 3′ x 9′, fired vitreous enamels on clear safety glass.

Goals

The goal of the green artwork was to give the benefits of a green wall without the cost and maintenance issues. To achieve this effect I made the piece very dense and textural. Backlighting gives the impression that it is a window in the exterior wall.
The client wanted the desk to be subtle and understated to go with the restrained palette of the lobby.

Process

The client was very specific about the supporting role the art was to play in the building and the colors for the works. There were substantial issues to work out regarding how to build the cavities for backlighting, the color temperatures of the lights, and how to install the works in the most seamless way.
My paintings were translated into glass with incredible skill and sensitivity by Derix Glasstudios. The material for the green piece was a very difficult production of green double flashed blown glass made by Lamberts Glassworks.