Kate Civiero
Kate Civiero
Kate Civiero, a blown glass artisan, is inspired by color and tropical fish or as she puts it “things that go”.
She’s been making handblown glass professionally since she graduated from Sheridan College’s Glass Program.
We have had the opportunity to ask her a few questions about her art, how she works, and her creative process. Enjoy!
What part of the World are you from?
Eugenia, Ontario, Canada
How did you first discover glass, specifically, blown glass as a creative medium?
I first discovered glass during a visit to Sheridan College. As I was speaking with an instructor, he was holding a pontil with hot glass on it, sort of letting it droop and swing around a bit while we were chatting. I remember very little of what he said, but the experience was so intriguing that I enrolled in the Glass Program that fall.
Swim
Have you worked with other mediums?
I dabble in ink drawing and photography, and periodically use paper, wool, wood and metal components in my work, but glass is my primary medium.
Why did you choose to work with glass?
I originally chose to work with glass because it looked like great fun, but I suppose what is important is why I stuck with it. I love the intense heat and the fluidity of hot glass, the spontaneity of making quick design decisions during the process, and being constantly surprised by the outcome. Although there are times when I am humbled by the sheer difficulty of working with glass, I remain addicted to it!
Cosmic Flashlight
How long have you been creating professionally?
I graduated from the Sheridan College Glass Program in 2001, and have been blowing glass since. There were times during this period when I created a lot of work, and there were times when I hardly made anything at all. Currently, I am happily creating glass work full time.
How did you get started with blown glass?
Upon graduation I rented studio time at a few different glass studios in Ontario while I attempted to forge a direction in life. I now rent time from friends at a beautiful century barn studio that overlooks the Beaver Valley. In spring there are egrets in the river and turkey vultures circling overhead!
Georgian Bay Bottles
How would you describe your art or your style?
Everything changes, especially my style… but whatever I’m making there is always a constant: Colour! I LOVE bright fun colours, patterns and organic/offbeat shapes. I have production pieces that I make which are purely functionl – tumblers, vases, bottles, bowls, wine stoppers, etc. My sculptural pieces vary but usually revolve mildly around themes like tropical fish, bowls on wheels, and things that ‘go.’
Can you tell us about your favorite piece “Intercontinental Excursion”?
Intercontinental Excursion is without a doubt my favorite piece – I made it specifically for a juried show a few years ago. It was developed from some toy-inspired sketches, and around the same time I was exploring different mold-blowing techniques. The glass components are blown in a square wooden mold, then free-formed to give them individual shapes. The glass pieces sit in their little wooden cars and are can be moved and switched around.
Intercontinental Excursion
What materials and/or processes did you use for this piece?
This piece is made of blown glass, wood, stainless steel and brass components.
What is it about this piece that makes it stand out in your mind?
This piece was a jumping off point for a body of work which I have carried forward since 2002, and I am still motivated by. It was one of those pieces that I thought about for a while but never really got around to making, until finally one day it just happened… and the end result was so much better than I had envisioned! It was one of the first mixed media sculptures that I made and I was exploring components and how they fit and work with each other. Up until this point I had been working on a series of ‘bowls on wheels’ but with Intercontinental Excursion I pushed past the boundaries of working exclusively with glass and opened my work up to different materials.
Paintstrokes Murrine Bowl
What inspires you?
Different things always inspire me. I love comic art and children’s toys, which is fairly evident in my use of colour and form.
Often I find myself enthralled with everyday objects that out of nowhere can spur me into a whirlwind of creativity. I am continually inspired by the interaction that plays out between my glass objects and people viewing it. I strive to make tactile glass pieces that people will look at, but feel compelled to touch, to pick up or play with.
Do you listen to music while you create? If so, what?
I love to listen to music or CBC radio while I work; just noodling around doing anything at all with my mp3 player is my idea of fun. I listen to such a diverse range of music that I truly couldn’t peg it down to anything… however my Willie and the Wheel album (Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel) is my current favourite for glassblowing, it’s so upbeat!
Squiggle
My studio workspace is all over the place. I rent glassblowing studio time from a neighbouring studio, but at home I have three workspaces – my studio/gallery which I try to keep clean for the public to see, my pirate-themed office, and my barn where my fusing kilns live. The barn is my favourite place to work because I share it with my chickens, who love to strut and peck around below me while I work!
Do you have any tips for working in your medium?
My best tip would be to get comfortable with your own way of doing things. When I originally learned to blow glass, I used an assistant to help me. Recently, I have started to blow glass solo and in some ways, I have had to retrain myself and modify a lot of blowing and shaping techniques in order to do them alone. It has been an interesting and at times frustrating practice, but I find that I am more engaged with the glass, and less distracted by having another person around.
Tripod Cup
What is the best creative advice you have been given?
“You get out what you put in” – ahhh… such simple advice, applicable to so many situations! When I revisit this advice again and again I always feel empowered by the ultimate responsibility for the success of my art as well as the success of my business. So it may not be the most creative advice ever, but like a stern voice in the back of my head, it keeps me motivated to push forward when I’m feeling a bit discouraged.
What do you want others to know about you, your art and living a creative life?
I have always tried to make decisions in life based on my ultimate happiness. Almost everything I do – blow glass, raise chickens, play in my garden – I do because I love it. Passion is addictive, and I hope that my work inspires other people to have some fun.
Thank you Kate
Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions and for sharing your fantastic blown glass art with us.
You can find Kate’s glass at her Etsy shop Infinite Glassworks. Or if your in the Eugenia, Ontario area, be sure to stop and see Kate’s Infinite Gallery.
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Thank you for featuring me in the Artisan Spotlight, much appreciated!
Fun is Fun!
I am so proud of Kate & her beautiful glass work!