Cecil Gary McKenzie

Lisa McKenzie

Studio Tour 

Our studio is north of Emporia, Kansas on a rural farm site.  We melt a Spruce Pine Batch decolorized formula into clear glass in our free standing crucible furnace designed and built by Cecil.

To a clear gather of glass we layer opaque and transparent colored glass pieces from a large palette of Kuglar, Zimmerman and Reichenbach colors in patterns reminiscent of Impressionist paintings.  The patterns are designed on a marver to create an intentional color field and picked up with hot glass on the blow pipe. 

Many of our forms are inspired by nature with the idea of new potential, swelling buds on trees, drops of water, the cosmic egg form from India, a super oval from European art, capturing the feeling of expansion in mid process so the forces causing the expansion are reflected in the form.

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This work relates to mathematics, physics and chemistry by tying the physical properties of hot glass. Shaping it's fluidity, density and expansion which is controlled by chilling the surface, it interfaces with the physical properties of cold glass and light, transparency, opacity, and hardness.

 

Our focus as we work together on blown forms is to meld the color surface treatment with simple forms and clean lines.

 
Cecil has 2 BFA's from Kansas University, one in sculpture, one in ceramics.  He has taken workshops at both Pilchuck Glass School and Penland School of Crafts.  He has attended many demonstrations and conferences on glass.

Lisa has a BA from Bethany College in Lindsborg, KS.  She has learned glass from and worked with Cecil for over 20 years.  They collaborate on and evolve their body of work as a team.

Studio visits are available by appointment.