MARC TAMIS

My professional background in engineering led me to a career in electrical, mechanical and information technology. I was the "let me disassemble/reassemble and look – it works better!” child discovering I could make a "mental map” in my head where all the parts came from and how they go back in.  Perhaps that’s why my artistic talents focus primarily in three-dimensional space. The majority of my artistic talents have been in a variety of mediums, including resins, woods, metals and plastics, mainly in functional forms such as Halloween props, furniture, and three-dimensional art pieces.

I was first introduced to glassblowing in 2016 and immediately fell in love working with glass!  The different shapes and color variations, as well as the process itself, was a remarkable discovery for me and I enjoy working alongside my daughter at a local glassblowing workshop in Illinois.

Although my father was a fused glass artist since 2000, his art background was in Jewelry and sculpting. He had shown me his work and we even made a few pieces together, but while visiting with him in 2021, I had the opportunity to work on my own in his studio. This was the first time I looked around his shop and started to design pieces in my head as I walked around. Within a short period of time, I realized I can work fully in 3D with fused glass much in the same way I can with glass blowing. From that moment on, I have fallen once again and forever more in love with glass. I joined my father’s studio a short time later and now continuing on his legacy with it.

With my engineering background, I have always enjoyed working with lighting for both personal and professional projects.  Prior to my involvement with glass, I developed a series of radioactive lights used in props for an annual community outdoor Halloween exhibition called "Halloween Radioactive”.  Based on that knowledge, I started experimenting with different lighting techniques for art glass, by building frames and stands with alternating lights.  This opened up an abundance of new interpretations and imagery neither my father nor I could have imagined!  Each piece of art became something different as the lighting changed colors from behind or underneath the glass itself.  I also created a rotating stand with interchanging lights that provides even more depth and complexity to multi-dimensional configurations.

My ultimate goal is to bring multiple disciplines of glass together to make unique and interesting designs that incorporate lighting and special effects so the piece will continue to "Change” – what I call  " A Living piece” – so you may enjoy for years to come, discovering how your piece is evolving over time.