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Chandelier Drawing, 2015, 60 x 40" Inquire
Quintessential Chihuly
For Chihuly, drawing is every bit as natural as glassblowing. Chihuly works with acrylic paints, watercolors, ink, pencil, charcoal, graphite—even fire—to express his ideas with energy and exuberance. They range from light and ethereal to bold and colorful. Some relate to Chihuly’s glass sculptures, others are an experience all their own.
CHIHULY DRAWINGS AT MUSEUM OF GLASS
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Dale Chihuly painting on the Boathouse deck, Seattle, 1993
Freedom of expression
Chihuly’s Works on Paper allow him to explore his grandest schemes. He often draws while standing, allowing him to express ideas more freely and physically. Chihuly says, “Drawing is a fluid process, as glassblowing is a fluid process.”
Student drawing by Dale Chihuly at University of Washington, Seattle, 1965
A student of interior design
Drawing has been a natural part of Chihuly’s vocabulary since his days as an interior design student at University of Washington, where he was trained to make meticulous pencil-and-wash renderings.
“Most of the drawings are quite spontaneous. I don’t do much with preconceived ideas. In the course of a day of blowing glass, I might do 15 or 20 drawings.”
–Chihuly
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