My name is John Bridges, I'm a glass artist focusing mostly on contemporary art glass marbles. I'm mostly self-taught and have been steadily building my repetoire and control of fine detail in solid glass forms since 1998, working from my studio in Eugene, Oregon.

I like to think of my work as a bridge to a meditative state of consciousness. I try to lure in a viewer from a distance with appealing color presence, and then draw them closer and closer as they discover ever finer levels of texture and form, ultimately forgetting their current surroundings, even for a flickering moment.

I think that such states of consciousness are not only desireable but necessary for a well-balanced mental state. It's easy to be overwhelmed by the rush-rush and fact-overload of everyday life, to such an extent that everybody *must* find some small way to access thoughtlessness-weighlessness-present mindedness...a momentary escape for a release of intellectual pressure.

Marbles are uniquely qualified to offer this healing service; between the inherent dreaminess of ethereal forms suspended in solid glass and the primordial shape of the sphere, not to mention easy mobility and access, they are nothing less than a utilitarian magical tool.

This work is an ongoing tale; each new discovery suggests seven fresh possibilities to explore, and I emerge from each new challenge with enhanced technique and greater ability to mesmerize.