Meet Tim Carey | Glass Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tim Carey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tim, what’s the most important lesson your business/career has taught you?
I attribute the success as I’ve had in my career to my commitment to the path forward. While my career path has not been a straight line, it has been a line with straight segments. Meaning, I have had major shifts in the focus of my work, but with each shift, there has been no looking back or second guessing. If I choose a new direction, I commit to it and chase it with passion and reckless abandon.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I use the technique of kilnforming to make images in glass. Like most artists past and present, the idea of infusing light into my work has been a major focus of my career. For years as an oil painter, it was all about transparent paint on canvas, scumbling and layering glazes on bright gessoed panels, so as to create a luminosity from within the piece. When I discovered glass, and now specifically the art of fusing, I realized that this was the perfect medium for me. To some degree a painter is creating the illusion of light- it is a cosmetic process that involves creating an image by placing paint on the surface of a substrate. With glass, the substrate IS the image. My artwork is made by assembling sometimes hundreds of small, custom cut pieces of sheet glass, combined with glass powders known as frit, and melting them all together in the kiln to form an image. Sometimes the images are pre designed, and other times they evolve out of a response to the glass itself. I will place glass in the kiln to create movement and flow, allowing the heat to melt the material into organic shapes and textures. My work then becomes a response to what these pieces are “suggesting.” I work in an abstract figurative language, with a formal approach to composition and color. My work spans the range from realism to abstraction. The applications for my work are architectural art, backlit fine art, and commissioned work for commercial and residential environments. I also specialize in custom framing and LED lighting for all of my work. I’m tremendously excited about what the future has in store for this unique medium.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh boy….I’ve lived in LA all of my life, and I’m the worst at this. But I’ll try. The ocean. We’re going to the ocean. Either on a boat, maybe fishing, or just the beach. I don’t have a favorite beach, but the Santa Ana rivermouth in Huntington is good for parking and access to fun, easy waves and a big sandy beach. OK, this is making me nervous…I am not cool in this way. We’re probably coming back to my house in South Pasadena and drinking beer on my porch for the rest of the week. Wait, how much money do have to spend??? If I have money we’re playing golf somewhere fancy like Pelican Hill in Newport Beach. In-n-Out will happen at some point during the week. Maybe a few times. As a stained glass artist, one of my favorite places to see beautiful painted stained glass up close is the Mausoleum in the LA Cathedral. You can walk right up to tons of beautifully made Mayer of Munich windows. Its a beautiful, solemn setting. We’d go to the Norton SImon Museum in Pasadena, in my opinion pound-for-pound the best Museum in town. SO many great pieces there. Carne Asada burritos at Alberts Mexican Food in Alhambra will happen at some point. And that’s it. Im a loser who likes to stay home and watch sports on TV.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Sophia deserves all the credit for my arrival at this point in my career. She has trusted my instincts, believed in me and my work, and most importantly, encouraged me to take risks She holds down the fort at home with our 3 children and always keeps a positive attitude and a smile on her face.

Website: timcarey.com
Instagram: @timcareystudio
Twitter: @timcareystudio
Facebook: @timcareystudio
Yelp: Tim C.
Youtube: Tim Carey

Image Credits
Tim Carey Studio