Handmade Glass Installations & Commissions
for Residential & Commercial Spaces.
Randie Silverstein Glass
Artist Statement
My name is Randie Silverstein. I am a glass artist.
The process of creating provides me with a sense of purpose in a changing world. I find great satisfaction in sharing both my process and my creations. Feeling a sense of urgency to transform my ideas from dreams to the physical realm, I pay close attention to the demands of my muse like never before, at all hours of day and night, I lean in towards her.
I have explored many mediums including ceramics, painting, graphic design, textiles and now glass. Painting with glass and light, these images come from my imagination, and are somewhat fantastical. I work exclusively with fusible glass, firing it in a kiln in my home studio.
Inspired by nature, my artwork is mostly representational. My landscapes, my cosmos, my day at the beach are all depicted through color, line, and the dimension of light. Glass is enchanting. Light can be transmitted, reflected, and absorbed. Transformation of the glass through the heat of the firing, is where the magic happens and is my source of curiosity for continued exploration.
My activism is in creating. My rebellion is taking back time spent on negative distractions. Instead, focusing my energy on designing, engineering and manifesting my ideas. The work that emerges is my gift, one of joy, hope and renewal. For this I'm so grateful.
Biography
I earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics, from SUNY College at New Paltz, New York in 1985 and a Certificate of Proficiency, in Digital Media from Cabrillo Community College in 2000 located in Aptos, CA.
After graduation from art school in upstate New York, I found a home in Seattle, Washington, and apprenticed with many local ceramic artists. Learning by doing, I was exposed to all aspects of running a small craft business including production, marketing and development of new work. My first art studio was opened in 1987 and created many opportunities including selling at Bellevue Craft Fair, and Seattle Center’s Northwest Craft Center.
My work reflected a serious and contemplative side. The pots were large and sculptural. After relocating to the central coast of California, I worked for Petroglyph Ceramic Lounge, a paint-your-own ceramics store in Santa Cruz, and managed their production warehouse for several years. These commercial materials influenced my work and surface design become my primary interest. Eventually I abandoned concern for form and starting underglaze painting on the pots, my style evolving in a more colorful, light, whimsical expression.
Returning to school in 1998 to study web and graphic design at Cabrillo College, I later taught for a few semesters. Forming Luckydog Arts & Design in 2001, I designed websites for the following 20 years.
I also continued to work in ceramics until I was introduced to fused glass while living in Colorado in 2009. Just two years later I returned to California and retired the ceramics kiln, trading it in for a glass kiln, turning our home’s garage into a working glass studio. I now participate in Santa Cruz’s Open Studio’s Art Tour every year. My work can be found on my website and purchased through Etsy and social media.
Since 2019 and more recently, I have had the opportunity to create several public art commissions and installations. I am finding my voice and passion in glass which has inspired these new directions. Starting in 2020 running though 2025, i took classes with and was mentored by infamous glass artist Maestro Narcissus Quagliata, along with a small group of colleagues working in glass from around the world. Most days I feel this is only the beginning of this exploration.
