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Growing up in the heart of Amarillo brought tough times and real experiences for Christian Luginger. He knew art moved him and felt a strong calling but wasn’t sure how he was artistically. After watching Dale Chihuly on PBS, it clicked and glass was his new love. He realized he needed to escape in order not to become a part of the large negative stastitics of life in the streets. In 1999, Christian journeyed from Amarillo, Texas to Boulder, Colorado in order to study offhand and lampworked glass as an apprentice and student in various studios. To mature as a glass artist, with a mission to bring the knowledge back to Amarillo, he began seeking prolific professional artists to hone his craft. He wanted to share and educate his friends and neighbors who might be in need of an expressive outlet. Christian sees art as a healing mechanism and therapy. People can make connections on so many levels, and then relate, appreciate, and express themselves more effectively. Enjoyment of being outside in nature, glass, independent studies, and the daily motivation he receives from our great God helps him to remember that each of us has a bright light that needs to shine in some way or another and to discover it. We were all created from sand and breath, and we are all hollow vessels at times that are cracked and in need of healing and fire. Every class experience through his travels has deeply and uniquely affected his life and the way he shares his work. He is no longer the student, but the teacher. Christian now develops his own teaching and mentoring abilities by holding private lessons in his studio. He receives feedback from students, so that he may understand how to better communicate his art to others. |