Village Spotlight: Meet William Purser of The Sculptured Glass Gallery
You watch the glass mold like butter on a hot flame. William Purser delicately guides the fragile figurine into perfect shape. A twist then another turn, his gaze is steady on his next creation.
“It has to be graceful, and it has to be beautiful,” said Purser about his expectations for a finished product. The shelves at Sculptured Glass Gallery at the Rain Barrel Village are already perfectly decorated with his latest creations. Each figurine more beautiful than the next.
Patrons describe his work as effortlessly whimsical yet deep in color and especially detailed. Thematically, Purser entertains nautical, fantasy, floral and the human figure. Once a nautical line designer for Disney, his talent as clear as some of the glass he shapes with tools and a careful yet intentional hand.
The Norfolk, Virginia native is devoted to a technique called ‘lampworking’ and can always be found in front of the torch. Patrons watch him work through the protective barrier in amazement. It is a rare and intimate show created by an artist who cannot imagine doing anything else.
“It won me over. I was 13 years old,” said Purser. “I love the way glass flows.”
You may even catch Purser’s wife behind the flame. The love is shared between one another, the glass and the Florida Keys that inspires them so. It is truly a tropical oasis celebrated within their walls and just outside the gallery where glass windchimes dance freely in the salty air.
