William Ortman - Sherrie Gallerie Artist

See more work by William Ortman at www.sherriegallerie.com/william-ortman.
William Ortman graduated from the Columbus College of Art and Design in 2007 with a BFA in Glass Blowing. He currently lives and works in Columbus, Ohio, and is constantly exploring new techniques in glass.
"There are many reasons why I work with glass, but what really hooked me was the opportunity glass provides to play with color. Glass allows for variations of intensity of hue, tone and depth and I have always been captivated by the way colors come to light on a glass surface. Glass can do everything that other sculptural media can; in addition, the ways in which color can be layered on glass provides a unique three- dimensional quality of depth. My objective as an artist is to create aesthetic forms using incredibly rich colors and textures.
Using traditional Italian techniques, I draw inspiration from Asian cultural art, and this has allowed me to find a style of my own. Initially, I started out making simple vessels. But the challenge of rendering more complex structures in glass soon caught my imagination and I was on fire with ideas. I am making works of art that have organic influences and now have multiple forms ranging from familiar vases with exotic patterns to nature inspired shells. I am particularly drawn to combining the structural symmetry of cane and Murine with organic textures and patterns within the glass and then using sandblasting as a finishing technique to reveal the true color. Each piece I make is a unique creation requiring intense concentration and often great skill to produce. I think of these pieces as part of an overall progression, each having their own potential, but also being a step towards creating improved versions.
Glass making is what I love to do and I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. It is a pleasure for me to share what I do." - William Ortman