Colin O'Reilly began working in glass in Santa Fe, New Mexico apprenticing under Charles Miner where he was introduced to the processes of blown and cast glass. After a year and a half of study, he continued his education at the California College of the Arts earning a BFA in Glass. He has attended workshops at Pilchuck Glass School, Penland School of Crafts, as well as a summer apprenticeship with Pablo Soto in Penland, North Carolina. Colin works with both blown and cast glass elements to create narrative sculpture. His work has been featured in the "School to Market" exhibit in the 2011 American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, the CCA Craft Forward Symposium Exhibition in San Francisco, the "Artist's Corral" at 2 Rules Fine Art in Marrietta, GA, and the "Elements: Glass and Ceramic Show" at the Community Gallery in Santa Fe, NM.
Colin O'Reilly was voted Best in Show at the "Artist's Corral" at 2 Rules Fine Art in January, 2012.
Statement
My bottle series explores form, composition and color. Trying to capture the range of the color spectrum, I create a composition that utilizes the transparent qualities of the glass to fill in the colors between each bottle as it overlaps with the next. Inspired by the commonly unnoticed static beauty of a bar shelf, the collection exemplifies the great variety of shapes, sizes, and colors that are found in those bottles.