ARTIST

After leaving the Army in 1977, using the GI Bill, Kurt Carlson attended Bucks County Community College, outside of Philadelphia, PA and graduated in 1979. While a student there, Kurt was introduced to glassblowing by Don Gonzalez. Kurt's instant love affair with glass led him to RIT's BFA glass program in Rochester, NY where he studied under Andy Magdance and Michael Taylor and graduated in 1982.

Kurt has continued refining his skill in hot sculpted glass by attending classes at Penland School of Crafts under Pino Signoreto, and in Corning at "The Studio", with Dino Rosin. Both are Italian masters in hot formed glass scu8lture. Kurt has also attended hot sculpting classes with Karen Hillenbrand Johnson's at the Pittsburg Glass Center and with Ross Richmond in Eugene, OR. They are both long time members of the William Morris team. More recently, Kurt attended a class at "The Studio" in Corning to study murrini with Ralph Mossman.

Lynda Pownall-Carlson was raised by artist parents who had a professional commercial photography business in Chicago. Her only career desire; to work as an artist from her earliest memories. At age 5 Lynda did a 12' x 20' mural in crayon, which was accepted for The Annual Scholastic Exhibit at the Art Institution. She attended the University of Mexico and Nazareth College in Rochester, NY. Lynda's major at Nazareth was fine arts with an interest in metal-smithing and casting.

She has continued to expand her art by studying with other artists focusing on casting, enameling, and photo sandblasting. All the classes were taken at the Corning Museum of Glass "studio," with Lucartha Kohler, Denise Stillwaggon Leone, and Mark Abildgaar. Recently, Lynda has studied glass carving and engraving with Jiri Harcuba, Martin Rosol and Jan Mares.

Carlson Glassworks is a collaborative effort between Kurt Carlson and Lynda Pownall-Carlson. Their work together is a rare combination of mutual care and attention to an unusual multi-step process that allows both of them to contribute to each elaborate art piece.

Kurt begins by creating an interior design of murrini and trapped air in glass that is encased in the center of the hot-sculpted head. The entire piece is shaped by manipulating the hot glass for two to three hours. This is a multi-step process that Kurt has developed over the years. Then the piece is cooled in a two-day annealing cycle. Once the piece has cooled Lynda adds detailing to each head by drawing a design onto the glass. The piece is then taped and sandblasted. The designs are then enhanced with hand painted enamels, which receive multi-firings to achieve the finished look.

When finished the original design is still visible inside the head. Looking into the clear area, the viewer is able to see the interior design in addition to reflections of the outer design giving the sculptural head depth, mystery and intrigue.