Katherine Newton

About Katherine Newton

In the 8th grade, I was thrilled when the home economics class was full, and I got to take an art class instead. And the best work I did was a watercolor of glass bottles. And yes – that was back in the days when boys took shop and girls took home economics. So, I have always loved glass. I love its infinite possibilities, the way it reflects light, and how it talks back through heat and edges. Kiln formed glass is designed and cut cold and then fused, slumped, and draped in a kiln. I have been a scientist and health professional most of my life. This trained me to pay attention to details and to experiment. I find similar satisfaction experimenting with glass until I hit the right note for a particular piece.

My work is strongly informed by travels to Turkey and Oaxaca, Mexico. In Turkey, I was introduced to the beauty of non-representative Muslim art – the intense colors and designs of the windows, tiles and grill work found in Mosques, palaces, and everyday places. In Oaxaca, Mexico, I was exposed to amazing combinations of color and imagination in carved figures, tin pieces, and textiles. My memories of these places have influenced my approach. My designs use bright colors and playful shapes that are suggestive but not representational.