On Saturday I received a studio visit from Candace Groot, Christina Bothwell and Stanley Shetka, who were all in town to jury this year's Virginia A. Groot Foundation grant awards, along with Tim Tate, who was last years recipient of first place.

The Virginia A. Groot Foundation was founded in 1988 to award grants to sculptors so that they may have the opportunity to devote a substantial period of time to the development of their work.  It's a foundation that has made a significant impact on the lives of many sculptors.

Below is  a group photo, showing Candace Groot in the center surrounded by former winners of the award, two of whom have studios in our complex!

Left to Right: Martha Jarvis Jackson, Tim Tate, Candace Groot, Stanley Shetka and Christina Bothwell.


The visit turned out to be great fun. It's always a treat to talk shop with other artists, especially if they work in your medium.

After meeting Christina, I was intrigued by her description of her glass and ceramic work
 and was delighted to discover her work online. Simply incredible. I especially love the glass birds embedded within the figures.



Christina Bothwell



In my work I am drawn to the processes of birth, death, and renewal. What lies below the surface fascinates me and I try to capture the qualities of the "unseen" that express the sense of wonder that I feel in my daily existence. I am attracted to glass because it can do everything that other sculptural media can; in addition, it offers an inner space and transmits light.

My subject matter includes babies, animals, and children as they embody the essence of vulnerability that is the underlying theme in my work. Currently I am exploring metamorphosis as a topic, and have been incorporating figures within figures in my pieces. Within each glass figure there is a smaller figure seen through the surface of the glass.

I think of these pieces as souls, each being pregnant with their own potential, giving birth to new, improved versions of themselves.

Christina Bothwell