Living in the pristine beauty of the West is a privilege for those who reside here, and the abundance of nature's offerings and beauty reach out to One's creativity through many different art forms. Russel Lewis has found this out over the past 36 years, as spending time in Nature has inspired him to create wildlife masterpieces and much more with glass. He has excelled through the years using various techniques to create his glass art.

Russel happened to "stumble" upon the art of glassblowing around 1988, when his wife Adele had mentioned she used to love seeing the blown glass on the East Coast where she grew up, describing the art of glassblowing she had witnessed as a child. At the time, he had been looking to practice an art form, having come from an artistic family. His mother was a painter, and his father a jewelry maker. The discussion about glass with his wife piqued his interest, and he decided to research more about this fascinating medium.

36 years ago, the age of the Internet was far from a reality in Idaho, so Russel made a trip to the Public Library to research this unique art form. That desire to learn more about glassblowing would change his life’s direction forever. His research found two informative books on the "how-tos" of flameworking and from that point on, he began forging his artistic path as a glass artist. After about 18 years of honing his skills as a glass artist Russel had the opportunity to take over the scientific glass shop at the Idaho National Laboratory. Russel's skill and creativity as a scientific glass blower (now retired) have helped him to have a greater understanding of the manipulation of glass and has driven him to new levels in his artwork. Whether it be at the torch sculpting hard glass into wildlife, at the kiln creating colorful vases, bowls and flowing wall art, Russel holds a deep knowledge and appreciation for the art and science of Glassblowing.