Marc Tickle, Glass Artist

Marc is a glass artist designing and creating kaleidoscopes in his Asheville, North Carolina studio.  In designing each piece he slumps and fuses glass. Uses Italian flameworking techniques, Marc rolls out clay and fire the molds, upon which the glass is slumped.  He makes his paint from mica powders, which are then used to reverse paint on the glass.

Inspired from the natural complexity of our surroundings, each glass kaleidoscope is sculpturally appealing on the outside and spatially revealing on the inside with harmonic balance of shape, color and form.

Marc Tickle

Since moving from my native England in August 2000, I have been living in beautiful Asheville North Carolina. I spend my woking hours designing and making kaleidoscopes in my home studio On Reflection Kaleidoscopes.

I design glass kaleidoscopes that are sculpturally appealing on the outside, and spatially revealing on the inside. Sculptures within sculptures. Combining art with science I strive to achieve three dimensional interior images in my kaleidoscopes that defy the space that they occupy.

Using geometric principles, and the aesthetic values of geometry, my work conveys a harmonic balance of shape, colour and form. A strong thread of continuity is carried through from the outside to the interior image.

My creative energy is well and truly fed with the design process. In designing my kaleidoscopes I slump and fuse glass, I use Italian flameworking techniques, I roll out clay and fire the molds, upon which I slump the glass. I make my paint from mica powders, which I then use to reverse paint on the glass.

I absorb my inspiration from the natural complexity of our surroundings.

Designing kaleidoscopes since the late 1900s, I have developed an aesthetic value in my work that conveys a sense of continuity shared between the kaleidoscopes, teleidoscopes, optical illusions and sculptures. I have received many awards for my work, and am honoured to be represented in museums and collections around the world.