Artist Statement
My work is about journeys. We all have a road ahead: decisions to make, fears to face, and unanswered questions about our future. My work presents our unknown futures as a path into a misty forest, and encourages viewers to courageously take that next step in their journey.
I create hand-painted, multi-layered, kiln-cast glass panels that exhibit nature in deep dimension, presenting natural objects around us in a new way. My goal is to draw the viewer into the work of art, transforming a painting (historically, a 2D art form) into something more. My outdoor subjects often recede into a foggy distance, creating an ethereal, almost ghostly effect.
Viewers frequently ask if a photograph has been embedded in layers of glass. But using only enamel applied by hand, I create depth using several techniques including layering, diminishing size and color, texture, and translucence. I typically use 9-12 layers of glass, then kiln-cast them into a solid panel after all layers are complete.
Artist Biography
Paul Messink is a kiln-work glass artist and instructor who draws on prior drawing and painting experience to create hand-painted, multi-layered glass panels that present nature in deep dimension. While mostly self taught, he has been fortunate to learn from artists such as Richard LaLonde, Susan Taylor Glasgow, Mark Salsbury, Annette Baron, and Don Schneider. He lives in Palm Desert, CA.
Messink received the “People's Choice Award” in 2015 at the 3rd Clay and Glass Biennial Exhibition (Brea, CA). He was awarded “Best in Show” in the 2014 IGAA Group Exhibit “GATHERING: Contemporary Glass from the Heartland” (Indianapolis, IN), and was a Category Winner in The 2014 Glass Prize, from Warm Glass UK (Bristol, England). He has also received “Best in Glass” in the 2012 and 2014 Royal Oak Clay, Glass and Metal show (Royal Oak, MI), and “Multi-Media Artist of the Year” in the Art Comes Alive 2013 competition (Cincinnati, OH).