Beauty is my goal, it is uncomplicated, makes no political statements, no obtuse references and does not require the viewer to assign meaning only enjoy what their sight provides them.  Artist Ian Conner

Ian Conner is an Arts and Tech Major at California State University in San Marcos. It is only recently he had been introduced to the beauty of stained and fused glass. Ian Conner spent most of his adult life in the military as an Infantry Sergeant. As a veteran of the Marine Corps and Army Infantry he had a unique perspective on creating things. After a lifetime of destruction the thought of creating something tangible and beautiful held great appeal. He found art as catharsis and a way to redefine himself both in his’s eyes and the eyes of others.

The experience of drawing and painting were gratifying and his instructors offered genuine encouragement of his talents. But nothing had captured Ian Conner’s passion like glass. Stained glass and fusing in particular provided an excitement about possibilities of what he could create or recreate.

Ian Conner’s work has two directions, Stained Glass and Fused projects. The use of color is quite important to him and while there are the occasional monochrome projects the majority of his work incorporates strong use of color. The continuing I-Sea stained glass series focuses on sea life and mythology. Ships, Sea horses and Mermaids of various designs expanding into other sea life.

For Ian Conner painting with glass offers impressionistic pieces offering tributes to the great painters as well as original works.

Previous work with the digital arts while satisfying and recognized did not offer the excitement and joy that glass offers. Glass can be a canvas. Light reacting to glass- reflection, refraction, opacity, transparency, and translucency all offer ways to create a piece worthy of the viewer.

The patrons viewing my work I hope will be captured by the beauty of the pieces enough that the world falls away for a moment. I think that all art should do this. If not go back and try again.

Impressionist like Claude Monet and Leonid Amerov has held great appeal to Ian Conner and have greatly influenced how he create. Abstract Expressionism, Generative art seems to be avante guard these days. Ian Conner prefers the simplicity that impressionism offers. Fused glass artist recreating work of the masters is fairly rare. He has found other artists using blown and stained glass to recreate their work but no one was doing recreations with fused glass.

Impressionism is a major influence on my artistic endeavors. Color is at the heart of that influence.Fused glass has been an astounding discovery for me. The beauty and control offered by glass frit allows me to recreate the efforts of the great impressionist in glass. David Willis use of frit without fusing is a tremendous inspiration.

To see the artwork of artist Ian Conner go here

For information on artist Ian Conner go here   http://blackraptorglass.com/