Artist Murphy Hendry Reflects On His Glasswork Creations

July 1, 2016

Glass artist Murphy Hendry just moved to Traverse City last fall, but he already has a few favorite locations that inspire his colorful works.

“Leland just speaks to me,” said Hendry, who relocated from Indianapolis. “Elk Rapids is beautiful, and Old Mission Peninsula is really special. I love the panoramic views.”

Hendry’s works range from scenic landscapes to insightful portraits to sports team logos — he just finished a Michigan State piece for a client — to colorful abstracts. All are painstakingly created with hand-cut shards of glass and mirrors carefully attached, one by one, onto pine boards.

The Grand Ledge native starts with a basic concept but generally works with no particular design, letting the project take form as he works. Using only two main tools, he scores the glass to the shape he needs and carefully breaks it with a glass nipper. Then he glues the piece into place, a different technique from stained glass, which involves soldering between each glass piece. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of glass pieces later, the work takes shape. It takes skill and patience to complete a large work.

“Glass can be a little tedious,” said Hendry, who usually works for three or four hours every couple of days in his home studio.

HOW I GOT STARTED

Glasswork was a hobby that formed following the sudden death of my grandmother in the late ’90s. Upon her passing, I took an old cherry-wood piano bench from her garage and wanted to do something special to it in memory of her. She and I were exceptionally close.

I was a teen in high school when she passed. Glass was never a hobby I knew anything about or even felt drawn to. But I knew I wanted to do something very unique to this piano bench. I pondered various techniques and ideas. I was a musician, not an artist, so I fell short of confidence in this particular area. Finally, glass arts came to mind as something I could be bold with. I knew of a place in Okemos called Delphi, a glass supply company. I went into this massive operation in search of pretty colors and the basic tools, of which I knew nothing about, to aid in my creation of something pretty for my grandma's piano bench. I broke all the glass into tiny mosaic-style fragments, because I didn't know how to use my new tools properly for quality clean cuts at that time. I was getting quite discouraged. I began creating what is now my prized personal possession, standing prominently in my studio. Not only does it tell the story of my grandmother, but it also tells the story of a hobby and craft that I would come to know very well and hold as the primary source of light in my life.

THE STORY BEHIND MY ART, MY INSPIRATION

Because I am drawn to all things glossy and shiny, metallic and sparkly, opalescent and iridescent, working in glass is an absolute joy. The reflective and captivating qualities of glass have always mesmerized me. The story in my work today is one of fluidity, geometry, and theatrics. I could categorize my work into three arenas: the geometric work, the landscapes, and the figurative work. All three are explored at different times throughout my creative journey. The geometric work is a controlled, organized beauty that explores my reactions to a kinetic world where boundaries cross and societal interactions continuously shift and shape. The landscapes are a direct result of choosing to live in beautiful northern Michigan for this particular phase of my life. I explore contour and line as they relate to the iconic scenery up here. And this very unique inspiration has created some very exciting challenges within the techniques that are now a huge part of the mechanics behind my composition. And lastly, the figurative work is linked to my love for the female facial structure. I base this on a very early fascination with Disney's interpretation of Maleficent, her face. Still to this day, I create in attempt to portray that same kind of power and strength in my subjects. One piece in particular was created from my obsession with Maleficent's iconic rigid highbrow and eyelid composition. Stoic and powerful, my female figures will always inspire me to create more in that vein.

WORK I AM MOST PROUD OF

I recently created a piece that portrays the fierce nature of Maleficent's facial structure. The 24-by-24-inch piece is titled "The Sapphire Necklace.” Though I used her expression to guide my composition in the face, the rest of the piece pays homage to glamour and style. The subject is wearing a glittering gown with a curvy shoulder detail that is finished off with the sapphire and gold beaded necklace plunging into her unseen chest. This piece displays my cleanest cuts and tightest fits. The sequin effect on the gown is composed of hundreds of hand-cut tiny squares in varying shades of blue, gray, and they mirror to mimic that of a shimmering fabric. The piece also showcases two differing styles of glasswork, mosaic style and stained-glass-style composition.

YOU WON’T BELIEVE

I have received no training or instruction on the techniques of glass cutting or composition but have spent many years exploring the different qualities of various strains of glass and the relationship they all have with the cutting tools and mechanics I learned to use. My glasswork is selftaught. I dabble in painting and have for many years. Unlike glasswork, painting remains strictly a hobby rather than a chosen professional path, but it was within my self-taught style of painting that I found guidance for my glasswork.

MY FAVORITE ARTIST

Paul Gauguin is probably the artist I relate to the most, currently. His use of obvious color blocking, a strong focus on the facial aspect of the body, and an interesting representation of the performance art industry, especially opera and symphony, are all aspects I naturally feel drawn to. His work often depicts real life scenarios in casual passing. There is something intimate about that window we are getting to peer into with his work. It’s a private moment and that feels special to me.

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS

Through the years of being classically trained on the French horn, learning to paint, discovering my love for glass, and exploring the world of horticulture and gardening, the one thing I can urge young creators to open themselves up to is the personal allowance to screw everything up. To make the painful mistakes. Without understanding what doesn't work, we will never understand what does. I spent lots of time heading into projects with the idea that perfection would occur and mastery of my skill would all of the sudden be bestowed on me overnight. Boy, was I disappointed. We need to give ourselves room to mess up. In my case, that usually means an entire room full of busted, broken, unusable glass shards and bloody fingers. Knowing your craft and how it works can only happen when you give yourself the freedom to do it all wrong. I learned a very tough lesson. Even though glass requires one to be incredibly precise and intentional, there will be lots of unintentional. I had to put my ego and my neuroses aside in order to learn. I think this relates to all things, actually. Our successes are only successes because they were once failures.

MY WORK CAN BE SEEN AND PURCHASED

At Art and Soul Gallery on Front Street in Traverse City. I will also participate in the Traverse Higher Art exhibition on July 29 and 30 in Traverse City, or find me on Facebook.