Featured Artist: Terri Johanson, Corvallis MT

After years of professional education and workforce program administration, policy work and teaching it became clear to me that my heart and soul required me to engage in an activity that created an actual product…and that need found fruition when I became totally engaged and immersed in artistic work with glass—I discovered that an artist lived inside me!

Since I lived near I was able to take my beginning training in workshops at Bullseye. I met and learned from many wonderful glass artists there and through my membership in the early days of the Guild. When I retired I was very fortunate to be accepted to train with Klaus Moje at a summer session at Pilchuck! That workshop was amazing, Klaus of course was wonderful, as was Steve Klein and the whole cohort of students. Many of my fellow students are lifelong friends and active leaders in today’s glass community.

My work in the glass studio is filled with the reflection of light through luminescent sheets of glass. I am alternately calmed and excited as the kilnforming processes of cutting, grinding, firing, and polishing of the glass produces vessels or sculptural works of art that I enjoy and that others find joy in also.

Red glass, whether opal or transparent inspires me! Often it seems to just jump out of the glass bins onto the cutting table demanding to be fashioned into something that makes a bold statement or simply raises my spirits !

Glass can almost seem magical. The chemical makeup of the glass, its color and composition can create amazing reactions that change, enrich and surprise. This piece is an example of reactions in action!

This Petrified Wood Bowl features the reaction that fusing BE Petrified Wood glass on Robin’s Egg Blue glass generates. This bowl is finished with a black enamel lip wrap.

Techtonics was inspired by the syncline formation in the cliffs along the Columbia River near Lyle, Washington. The syncline in this piece is achieved using the natural edges of the hand poured glass layered to resemble the folds in the rock formation.

My love affair with glass and my skills and expertise in working with it, have naturally aligned with my experience and love of teaching. So, in addition to my personal work in the studio, I also enjoy sharing my skills with adults and young people who might just want to make something beautiful with glass, or with others who are beginning an exploration of the glass medium and hopefully will begin their own artistic adventures.

I’m so glad I can continue my guild membership even though I now live in Montana. I appreciate the news of all the activities you all continue doing to bring gorgeous glass to the community. Know that if any of you are traveling to/through Missoula, MT or the Bitterroot Valley I’d love to hear from you…and to get together for a visit if you have time! See my Members’ Gallery page or my website for more info

(Terri is having a candle holder class in Hamilton MT if you happen to be in the Missoula area December 7th)

Terri’s demo nightlights