As a self-taught artist, my curiosity and creativity have taken me in many directions over the years. I am a painter. I have done interior and garden design throughout the U.S., set design for local theaters, and floral design. I have designed weddings throughout the US and in England.
In late 2005, I found glass. I started with making glass jewelry. Soon, however, I felt limited by the size and dimension. I moved quickly to glass sculpture because I liked the freedom of expression and scale.
In my kiln I draw with hundreds of pieces of hand cut glass, and fire them into fused forms. Then, I re-fire these forms over broken shards of pottery or custom built stainless steel forms. For those based on precise designs, I control the dimensions very closely. For the organic shapes, I take the free-form pieces of glass in my hands and feel how they want to be together. Then I cut and drill the glass pieces and bolt them into permanence.
For me, the transparency of glass is a metaphor for memory. Even though the glass sculpture or design stays the same, if you move around the piece, or change the direction of the light or its intensity, you can change the memory.
Organic and architectural. Free flowing and based on memories. Scientific and creative. I have found my medium.
CURRENTLY EXHIBITING: The Craig Mitchell Smith Glass Gallery opened on October 16th 2010 in the Meridian Mall in Okemos, Michigan, located in the Macy’s wing. This is the exclusive venue to view and purchase his sculptures.
