Artist Statement

Glass to me is the ideal medium because it has it all; color, dimension, clarity and reflection. This medium enables me to express my thoughts and or feelings in the moment.

I have worked with cold glass and other mediums besides [1]Lampworking. But once I discovered the rush of creating with constant motion and having no time to think but instead feel my piece I was completely captivated.

I was born and raised in California, in 1991 after visiting Hawaii and falling in love with its beauty it became my home. I began my career in glass with Maui Crystal in 2000. Continuing to grow as an artist I expanded my knowledge by attending Sundance Art Center in Santa Cruz, California (December 2002). Wanting to learn traditional concepts of glass. I spent one month in Murano, Italy ( November 2005) studying under Cesare Toffolo. After spending the last 15 years in Hawaii I realized I felt isolated from the glass community and wanted to be more involved. This past March I relocated to Kingston Washington hoping that the Northwest will provide as much influence for me as Hawaii did. My work is constantly changing and evolving, but I still draw my biggest influence from the Islands and Ocean that surrounded me for so long.

Jennifer Umphress

[1] "Lampworking" (also sometimes called "flameworking") is the technique of shaping glass rods and tubes in a torch flame. In ancient times, the glass was melted over the flame of an oil or paraffin lamp, hence the traditional name.