The artist Raymond M. Nelson; born in Fombell, Pennsylvania; is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art. Primarily known for his glass, Ray works in conjunction with many artists around the country, such as John Nickerson and Kathleen Mulcahy. He is well recognized, winning many awards along with best of show in Smithville, Tennessee and full scholarships to various workshops.

Ray's work is derived mostly from classical pottery, but is also influenced by the natural things around him. Ray also makes wrought iron gates, metal castings, stained and cast glass. He loves to work with people and is available for special commissions.

Ray at the Glory Hole	Ray works on a vase.	Glassblowing Tools
Ray shapes a mushroom.	Glory Hole with Blown Vase	Vase in the Glory Hole

"Much of my artwork is created through a trial and error process. I have trained with many artists who use only one technique, but I have never felt there was only one way to do something. By experimentation and researching different materials and techniques, I bring pieces of nature, or a feeling, or a mood to my artwork that hopefully will engage the viewer to ask how that was done, or I wonder what he was thinking about when he made that piece.

I often record images that pass through my thoughts in a piece or recreate an object I had seen the day before in the deep woods growing on a rotten log. To translate the natural environment into artwork takes a lot of practice and devotion even in failure. For example, I can remember a time when I struggled with how to make a particular bug detail, and it took 17 trials before I had the one I wanted. Creating artwork can be very rewarding and I often encourage people to practice it in all aspects of life."