James Lavoie

James Lavoie was born, raised and educated in Alberta with a post-secondary study in Zoology. He has always had an outlet for creativity in the visual arts, though with no formal training. As a young adult, working in clay helped him to develop a sense of shape, proportion and basic design in 3 dimensions. By the mid 1970’s his experience with stained glass had taught him much about composition with colour, texture and density, and the interplay these elements have with light. In 1993, he briefly studied glass blowing – an exhilarating experience that showed him new aspects of colour and form in a fast-paced and spontaneous process. This sparked an exciting potential to begin working with “hot” glass.

Shortly thereafter, he discovered kiln work and decided that glass fusing was the perfect marriage of cold and hot glass – the methodical composition of stained glass combined beautifully with the molten formation of a solid piece. The result is unique – the achievement of effects only possible through this technique. This type of work would become his professional focus for the following decades, with other modes of kiln-forming finding their way into his work; specifically, casting and pâte de verre. Overall, his work illustrates a steadfast appreciation of simple design and attention to detail that result in pieces both sophisticated and elegant, enhancing the inherent qualities of the material.

James’ work has been sold through a number of galleries over the years such as the Alberta Gallery of Art, The Alberta Craft Council, Van Dop Gallery, The Canadian Glass and Drop Gallery and others.

For more information or to contact this artist for a commission, please contact info@bay1gallery.com.