Wesley Fleming , artist

photo by Isabella Dellolio Photography Click here for resume

about Wesley Fleming

Artist's Statement

An ambassador for smaller denizens of the earth, I hope to rekindle awe and curiosity for nature with my fantastic realism. I've focused more than two decades honing my glassworking skills and try to capture the essence of actual species with intricate detail of tiny stamen or antennae.

I spent my childhood days exploring the space beneath logs and rocks or reading science fiction. Today I use flameworking to conjure plants, animals and mystical beings by merging the fantastical with the real through choice of color palette and referencing familiar archetypes. Regardless of the end result, I love the alchemical potential of sculpting glass - a brittle and cold substance transformed by fire into a pliable and molten material.

I began working hot glass at the furnace in 2001 and gained valuable experience working for Josh Simpson and the MIT Glass Lab, among others. In 2005, I studied with Vittorio Costantini and Lucio Bubacco on the Venetian island of Murano. After learning the Italian technique of sculpting soft glass I focused solely on creating in this medium, primarily making glass insects for the a few years before branching out to other phyla of the plant and animal kingdoms.

About The Glass Sculptures

All of my sculptures are individually hand-made over a torch, using glass rods acquired from Venice (Italy) and properly annealed afterward using a digitally-controlled kiln.

Purchasing

If you'd like to purchase my work, FIRST check out my webshop vetropod.com for what I have in-stock. Then I recommend calling the list of galleries which represent me - you can head on down and check out my work first-hand!

Identifying My Work

I have signed all of my work, since about 2007, with a titanium pen - work is signed: "Wes" and until early 2023 was dated with the year. The signature is usually located between the front legs of the piece, so for an insect this would be on the underside of its thorax. For birds, it is usually behind, or in front, of the legs. For pieces where it is not feasible to sign between the legs, I sign in the least intrusive place possible. For a few pieces which are too small (rarely!), I sign only my name, or a "W". Some pre-2007 and post-2022 work is signed with a stamped impression of my name: "Wes", generally in a less intrusive location on the sculpture.

In case you want to know more...

Some of my other interests include hiking through the mountains and picking up rocks; walking in the woods around my house; pondering the meaning of life; reading science fiction, National Geographic, or news of the world; and last, but certainly not least, spending time with my best friend and wife, Rebecca.

Sincerely,

Wesley Fleming
glass sculptor

Linking to My Website

If you would like to link to my website, please do so! Below are two banners you may use on your website. If you click them, a popup window will open, containing the HTML code, which you can copy and paste to use on your website.

Member of the following professional organizations:

Talking with Debbie Tarsitano at 2012 McDermott Glass Jam		Demonstrating at Prism Glassworks in Troy NY, 2012
Demonstrating for 2011 Glass Art Society Conference, Seattle		Beach time with Seattle glass crew after GAS Conference
Demonstrating for workshop at 2010 International Society of Glass Beadmakers Conference, Rochester		Workshop group from 2010 International Society of Glass Beadmakers Conference
Face-to-face with a japanese unicorn beetle at University of Montana Beetle Lab		With Bob Snodgras at 2009 Degenerate Flameoff
Presenting a glass leafcutter ant to E.O. Wilson, 2009		Some folks from the 2009 Tucson Best Bead Show
Working in my Bozeman, MT studio (2007-2010)		Rebecca and I with the sun in our eyes at Yellowstone Grand Canyon
Vittorio Costantini class at 2008 ISGB Gathering		Teach-assisting for Vittorio Costantini at 2008 ISGB Gathering
Visiting Paul Stankard at his studio, winter 2008		Teaching at Bear Canyon School of Art and Craft, fall 2007
Talking with Gianni Toso at International Flameworking Conference, spring 2007		Ashfield, MA studio (2006, 2010-2018)
Teaching at Snow Farm, summer 2006		Snow Farm High School Program 2006 Flameworking Studio
Snow Farm High School Program 2005 Flameworking Studio		With Lewis Wilson, visiting Vittorio Costantini's shop Venice, Italy, spring 2005
At Scuola Bubacco, spring 2005		Lending a hand at Silvano Signoretto's shop Murano, Italy, spring 2005
At demo by Lino Tagliapietra hosted by Holsten Galleries, summer 2004		Josh Simpson studio team, summer 2003
Working in the MIT Glass Lab, 2002		Working at Fellerman & Raabe Glassworks, 2001