started my journey in glass in 1997, working for Jason Harris at Jerome Baker Designs. Now, in 2026, after nearly 30 years in the industry, I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my life.

After working at Jerome Baker Designs for only six months, I ventured out on my own and started Eugene Rain with my then-wife. At that time, the glass industry was booming, expanding every year, and demand for functional glass was stronger than ever.

In 2003, Eugene Rain hosted a groundbreaking event in Eugene, Oregon. We invited 50 artists from around the country to our shop for seven days of collaboration, education, and creative exchange. During that event, I taught my Stick Stack technique for the first time to a large group of fellow glass artists. The gathering was sponsored by Northstar Glass, Glass Alchemy, and Momka's Glass.

The success of that event helped lead to Northstar featuring pipe makers in its annual calendar for the first time. Fast forward more than two decades, and what was once a small community has grown into one of the fastest-moving art movements in American history, with thousands of pipe makers working worldwide. Today, pipe makers are helping lead the borosilicate glass art movement and teaching at some of the most prestigious flameworking schools around the globe.

After parting ways with my former wife, I founded my current company, RidgeTopGlass, in the historic mining town of Nevada City, California. Surrounded by forests and mountains, I continue to create glass art while enjoying the beauty and inspiration of the landscape I call home.