Alison Ruzsa

"I enjoy the idea of creating a painting which can be looked at from more than one point of view. I want to create a world with many perspectives; a painting that can be seen from many angles. With each turn, one discovers a different aspect of the picture. This reminds me that there is always more than one way to look at life."

While completing her degree in Fine Arts, Alison Ruzsa began working with glass in 1991, as a way to expand her study in sculpture. She was given a Glass magazine by her first glassblowing teacher and told to chose the artist and technique she was most intrigued by. After finding out that the small shop did not have the equipment necessary to make a traditional encased paperweight, she to decided devise her own methods and techniques to incorporate imagery within the glass. Using an eyeliner brush and enamel paint, Alison creates elaborate miniature landscapes using multiple layers of glass.

Throughout the years she has created paperweights in this technique, as well as larger more complex works. From the very beginning you will see the silhouette has been a consistent theme.  “Inormally use the silhouette for the figures because I'm interested in gesture. It's a nice way to make the human element a physical reaction to the environment." Other times she strays from that with cartoonish figuresreminiscent of a children's story book. In these pieces thecharacters are more specific, often portraits, as opposed to the everyone, or anyone feeling of the silhouettes. In either case the artist is telling you a story. Sheinvites you to explore the different aspects of the work as you move around it, and to find your own interpretations of the stories within.