Cushing has gained international acclaim for her large-scale, site-specific installations of handmade colored glass and intimate cross discipline glass sculptures. After studying an eclectic array of disciplines at the Chelsea School of Art and Design in London, Cushing focused her attention on public art, specializing in architectural ceramics and glass. She currently creates custom glass installations for private and commercial spaces. 

Her new sculpture series “Paradise” was created as the artist’s antidote to the restrictions of the recent lockdown. Inspired by escapism and taking inspiration from exotic locales and tropical, tropical flora and fauna, each unique work is the product of Cushing’s hybrid hand-made glass techniques like glass blowing and kiln formed glass. The artist explains that many firing tests were essential to reach the perfect balance of colors and contrast. “I needed light to pass through and intensify the colors, with overlapping finials creating different compositions depending on each sculpture’s rotation” The kiln formed finials that sit perched on the blown columns are remarkably painterly. Multiple layers and firings combine to create the effect of individual universes within each petal-like component.

Each work is developed considering its relationship with its environment. Color sequence is also fundamental to Cushing’s artistic process, as she is attuned to the strong emotions that colors evoke. Her suspended works weave color with mesmerizing effect, conveying a sense of energy, rhythm, and harmony. Accents of precious metal gilding are used to catch and refract even more ambient light, adding a new dimension to the glass installations.