Warner Whitfield and Beatriz Kelemen

"Our designs are influenced by diving in the shallow, clear waters of Florida and the Caribbean, and by our dance instructing careers. Many of our designs and compositions, particularly those involving the latticino technique, have a feeling reminiscent of underwater coral reefs and the rhythm of the dance. "

Glass artists Warner Whitfield and Beatriz Kelemen work with borosilicate glass and fire to create original sculptural forms that are inspired by nature and movement. Each sculpture is created without the use of molds or castings. Each piece is formed by first melting the glass into a taffy-like texture. Then, with the aid of heat and gravity, the glass is gathered, stretched, and blown into shape.

Warner Whitfield began working in glass in 1972 and apprenticed with master glass artist Fritz Bachman from Hamburg, Germany, before establishing his own glass studio in 1976. Beatriz Kelemen began working in glass in 1984 in Venezuela, tutored by her father, Frank Kelemen, well-known for his work in stained glass. She has a bachelor's degree in architecture and a master's degree in project management from Cal Poly University in California.

Whitfield and Kelemen's work is shown in many galleries and has won numerous awards at juried exhibitions throughout the United States. Some collectors and commissions include: Pittsburg Plate Glass, United Technologies, Japanese Embassy, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Martha Stewart, Stephen Kind, Whoopi Goldberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the King of Jordan, and former Premier of Newfoundland Danny Williams. Their work has also been featured in Better Homes and Gardens magazine.