Wildflowers: Glass Sculptures by Ronnie Hughes

October 7, 2021 - September 4, 2022 | Schaefer Gallery

Ronnie Hughes, Bleeding Heart 1, 2003, blown glass. Collection of Bo Henderson and Ed Springs.

Born and raised in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ronnie Hughes’ passion for working with glass came as a surprise. Despite his aptitude for fine detail, Ronnie’s technique of flameworking durable borosilicate glass is largely self-taught.

Initially inspired by an unexpected field of Pink Lady Slipper orchids during a hike in 1980, Hughes has devoted his studio work exclusively to wildflowers native to North Carolina ever since. His sculptures are characterized by an exacting attention to accurate flower structures and the organic forms that support and reinforce these delicate compositions. Seen here in clear glass, the artist’s forms, while drawn from Nature, are almost ethereal in their ability to capture and diffuse light.

Using propane and oxygen-fed torches, Hughes heats the glass to a molten state then shapes his floral subjects while the medium is pliable, without the aid of molds, specialized tools, glues, or paints. The works are finished in 1040 degree kiln—a process called annealing—in which all thermal stress is removed from the sculptures and the glass is returned to its previous unaltered strength.

Drawn from the collection of Bo Henderson and Ed Springs.