While working on his degree in Fine Art at Alfred University, JP spent his summer breaks attended Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington.  The people he met there became friends, mentors and colleagues.  Martin Blank was one of those people.  In the summer of 1993 he introduced JP to Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly who hired JP on the spot as a hot shop employee.  Following graduation, Chihuly Studio hired him full time. For the next five years JP worked assisting other artists while also pursuing his personal artwork. It was during this time that the drive to build his own business gained momentum and ultimately propelled him to establish Canlis Glass in Honolulu. After four years there, in 2005, JP moved back to Seattle and opened a studio downtown.

Growing up as a competitive surfer on Oahu, much of JP’s inspiration is drawn from nature, most often the ocean, where his passion runs deep. Today, pushing the boundaries of art glass as we know it, JP combines his excitement for glassmaking with technical ability, personal concepts and curiosity to create artwork that is making an impact worldwide.

“Simplicity and completion are the most important elements of my work.  Anyone can make something simple seem complex: it is taking the complex and translating it into the simplest form that inspires me.  I want the viewer to walk away settled, feeling the art has a sense of completion.”