Chihuly

{Photos by Dan Tabár}

The other day I enjoyed a gloriously warm Arizona afternoon at the Desert Botanical Garden to see the highly praised Chihuly | In the Garden exhibit. If you live in Arizona (or anywhere near a Chihuly exhibition) - I highly suggest you check out these extraordinary glass sculptures in person! The juxtaposition of the delicate + colorful glass against the harsh + neutral desert landscape was beautiful & truly captivating.

OOTD: Coral Maxi Dress (H&M - Old) | Snakeskin Belt (H&M - Similar) | Black Gladiator Sandals (Old - Similar) | Black Sunnies (Old - Similar) | Gold Stud Earrings (Michael Kors) | "Mrs." Necklace (Kate Spade) | "T" Necklace (Kate Spade) | Gold Arrowhead Necklace (Kei Jewelry) | Ruffle Cuff (Hearts) | Gold Midi Rings (ASOS - Similar) | Nail Polish (Revlon - Cherries in the Snow) Born in 1941 in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly was introduced to glass while studying interior design at the University of Washington. After graduating in 1965, Chihuly enrolled in the first glass program in the country, at the University of Wisconsin. He continued his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), where he later established the glass program and taught for more than a decade. In 1968, after receiving a Fulbright Fellowship, he went to work at the Venini glass factory in Venice. There he observed the team approach to blowing glass, which is critical to the way he works today. In 1971, Chihuly cofounded Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. This international glass center has led the avant-garde in the development of glass as a fine art.

“The technology really hasn’t changed. We use the same tools today they used 2,000 years ago. The difference is that when I started, everyone wanted to control the blowing process. I just went with it. The natural elements of fire, movement, gravity and centrifugal force were always there, and are always with us. The difference was that I worked in this abstract way and could let the forces of nature have a bigger role in the ultimate shape.” - Dale Chihuly

Chihuly | In the Garden runs until May 18, 2014.