John Ryszka II

John Ryszka II, a native of Michigan City, Indiana, began working with glass in 2003 when he studied neon in Benicia CA, at the National Neon Institute. His time in Benicia, a place where masterfully produced glass art is in abundance, influenced his desire to dedicate his life to working with glass as an art form. John moved to Phoenix, AZ at the end of 2003 to work for Neon Nightscapes and to continue his education in glass. In 2010, after the birth of his daughter, John moved on from working with neon and opened his business, Glass Phoenix. He has continued to study and most recently traveled to Murano, Italy. Inspired by nature physics, astronomy, color, and light, many of the pieces he creates are designed to mimic flowers, insects and the solar system. Custom murrini is used to add intricate detail and give deeper meaning. Each handcrafted piece is created using a torch and solid borosilicate glass. Specific ratios of oxygen and propane are used in order to create deep and vibrant colors. Colored glass rods are melted and mixed into hues that are true to the colors found in nature. Using a technique called lampworking, John uses a torch to bathe the glass with extreme temperatures ranging up to 2,500 degrees. Constantly rotating the glass, the artist also works with and against the pull of gravity in order to create balance and movement,