I find glass to be a fascinating material. It allows you to manipulate it in so many ways. I enjoy the combination of creative and technical disciplines that kiln-formed glass can offer me. I first encountered kiln-formed glasswork while in Australia in 1999, and knew immediately that I wanted to work in that medium. I was a lobster fisherman for five years before I decided to work with glass and this has influenced my work a great deal. Although the connection isn’t immediately obvious, I feel that my work is heavily influenced by the natural world, particularly the ocean. Some of the creatures and colours that I saw while fishing are represented in my current work. I use bright, highly contrasting colours in my work and also try to use texture to give glass an unusual and unexpected feel. My work is constantly evolving. I am currently developing a new range of work that combines my technical knowledge of glass with my interest in cubist and abstract expressionist art. These pieces will be larger and non-functional.