Husband and wife artist partners Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli create beautifully finished glass sculpture, working together in the design process but creating their own pieces within each body of work. They combine form, abstracted imagery and stone-like surfaces in their distinctive work. Together, they own and operate Twisp River Glass in rural Washington state. The pair use traditional hand blowing techniques to create their forms, often assisting each other in fabrication. Imagery is applied with layered colors, added frit and powdered glass, and steel fibers. Surfaces are acid-etched, summoning a soft, matte finish. Recent mixed media sculptures incorporate found objects, reclaimed steel and wood. “We use cultural artifacts as a way of exploring our relationship with the land and to remind us of our interconnection with nature, with each other and with our collective past,” Jeremy and Allison explain.

“Our work is influenced by the natural world and our role within the environment,” they state. “We look to the landscapes of our rural mountain valley for inspiration. In the presence of nature, there is absence, where the mind can wander over open spaces and find a sense of calm. This is where the images of our work are derived; the patch of aspen on an otherwise empty hillside, a fenceline protruding from a field of snow, a night sky bathed in full moon. They are simple, abstract compositions that allow the viewer to read their own interpretation into the piece. Through our work we are able to deepen our own connection with our environment.”