I never attended an art school, apart from a few master classes. I was introduced to hot glass at Buck’s Rock, a summer camp in Connecticut when I was 12. In high school, I worked with my ceramics teacher to build a rudimentary glassblowing studio. I got my first job in a professional studio aged 18.

I use a broad range of techniques, mostly from the American studio glass movement, which has its roots in Murano. Recently, I have been learning about the Finnish traditional way of working, which is focused on highly skilled factory production, something rather rare today.

It is not the time it takes to make a piece, but rather the number of times it has been made and the amount of practice required to make it well. Some of my simplest pieces I have made thousands of times.The best results occur when every step is accomplished quickly and smoothly.

In 2014, Italian master Pino Signoretto visited Finland for a final collaboration with Finnish designer Oiva Toikka at the Iittala factory. I introduced myself and asked Pino if he needed assistance. I spent the next few hours working with one of the greatest glass makers of all time.