Personal Details

Lynn Ocken

Born in Modesto, California
Currently lives and works in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. / 319-393-4663
http://lofusedglass.ocken.org/

Lynn Ocken is a fused glass artist. Her designs often reflect her love of nature, her interest in various cultures and her joy of experiencing life full of variety and change.

Education

Studied under:

  • Dennis Brady – Master Artisan; Victoria, Canada
  • Susan McGarry – Artist; author; San Francisco, California
  • Lisa Vogt – Award winning artist; author; Wesley Chapel, Florida
  • Patty Gray –  Master Artisan; California
  • Richard Parrish – Master Artisan; Montana

Private Tutorials on:

  • Screen Melts
  • Pattern Bars
  • Stripped Construction
  • Coldworking
  • Pot and Screen Melts

Collections

Work can be found exclusively at:

  • Gilded Pear Gallery – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • The Iowa Artisan Gallery – Iowa City, Iowa
  • Cedar Rapids Art Museum – Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • Octagon Gallery – Ames, Iowa

Commissions

Currently all work is privately held in:

  • San Francisco, California
  • Evanston, Illinois
  • Chicago, Illinois
  • Cedar Rapids, Iowa
  • Marion Iowa
  • Des Moines, Iowa

Artist Statement

Transforming glass into functional pieces of art is magical. As glass heats up it flows and bends resulting in truly unique pieces each time. Every time I lift the kiln lid, I feel like I am opening a wonderful gift.

I am inspired by a variety of art mediums including architecture, paintings, and sculptures. I am drawn to the warm earthy colors of autumn as well as the cool tones and neutral creams and whites of winter. At other times, I enjoy a more modern, contemporary, edgier look and use bold, strong colors. Keeping in mind how the material responds to the cutting and heating process, I cut and layer glass pieces until the design is cohesive and visually pleasing.  Then the work goes into my kiln and fused at temperatures as high as 1700 degrees.  By varying both the temperatures at which the glass melts and the length of time the glass is allowed to be in a liquid state, I can add texture and dimension. To create a specific shape, I use a mold and heat the glass again until the piece conforms to the mold. With a final sanding and fire polishing, the piece is ready to enjoy. Each work can go through the process of melting and reforming numerous times over the course of many days.

In the end, my work reflects who I am: always learning, changing, and growing. The results are one-of-a-kind art pieces that are both functional and beautiful.

Biography

Lynn Ocken is a fused glass artist originally from California now living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Lynn has always been surrounded by art and artists starting with her grandfather a painter well-known in New York and Hollywood. Throughout her life, Lynn has been involved in the arts, promoting, teaching, creating or encouraging others. Recently, Lynn decided to focus on her own art, choosing glass as the medium. As an emerging artist, Lynn is moving from private commissions and sales to more public avenues. She has taken numerous classes from some of the best glass artists in the country always honing her art and putting her own spin on it.  Lynn’s philosophy with her art is the same as it is in her life: embrace change, enjoy learning, relish and expand all life has to offer. Her art reflects whatever she is currently exploring and experiencing: new techniques, new directions, new ideas that guide her in creating one-of-a-kind art pieces.