Noel Hart Noel Hart lives near the subtropical rainforests of Byron Bay, Australia. He earned a degree from the Gordon Institute of Technology in Geelong, Australia. Hart leverages painterly, gestural lines and use of color in his glassworks. His particular glassblowing process involves a team of assistants and a laborious process. Each work begins with a blown clear glass bubble blown as the “canvas” for the piece. Assistants blow separate colored glass forms that Hart applies to the bubble and then fuses in the kiln. Each applied color undergoes an alteration process whereby the glass is either poked to create air bubbles, rolled in frit (ground glass) to change the color, drawn on with cane rods, or otherwise transformed. Once the clear bubble has been fully covered with colored glass, Hart further shapes the piece into the desired form through additional glassblowing and hand-shaping. The final sculpture showcases Hart’s signature vibrant, abstract, painterly style. With an emphasis on ecology and nature conservation, Hart’s work takes its inspiration from the biodiversity in the rainforest outside his home, specifically tropical bird species. Hart’s work precisely embodies the essence of endangered bird species through their dynamic coloring, wingspan, personality. Environmental preservation remains a key theme in his work. Hart says, “Like many of us, I’d like to see a halt to the extinction of species, and a planet-wide increase of biodiversity… all of my artwork is consciously embedded with that intent.” Hart has shown his work internationally. He has attracted a loyal following of collectors worldwide and is included in the Kaplan-Ostergaard Collection, Palm Springs Art Museum, and the National Glass Collection in Australia as well as in private collections such as Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Price Waterhouse in Melbourne, Australia.