Chris Heilman (Born 1950)/Joyce Roessler (Born 1955) American, Reef Glass Sculpture. Rounded on one side, with a flat surface on the other, displaying an incredibly detailed view of a reef with fish and a shoal of squids passing by. Signed by the two artists and dated '87 along the bottom, followed by the title "Blue Squids" and the words "Reef Series." 

Condition: Great. 

Size: 5 x 3 x 6 in. 

Chris Heilman was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1950. As a youth he was introduced to sculpture and visual arts, and studied glassmaking at the Dayton Art Institute. After graduating he continued to explore new methods and ideas at Ohio University and the Experimental Glass Workshop in New York. His work appeared in major galleries throughout the United States, and he was lauded for achieving incredible small details in his work through a technique called lampworking, using numerous small rods and cane in various colors called murrini. The concept caught the eye of fellow glass artist Joyce Roessler while they studied together at Ohio University, and the two of them moved to Portland, Maine in 1980 to create a glass studio together. Their work was deemed historically significant by the Smithsonian Institute, which still holds many of their pieces in their collection. In 1993 they went their separate ways, and he moved to Stanwood, Washington to study further at the renowned Pilchuck Glass Center. He now runs Chris Heilman Studio Glass in nearby Bothell, although only works on commission since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Joyce Roessler was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1955, and began drawing at an early age. In 1969 the family moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where Roessler had the opportunity to attend the prestigious Alabama High School of Fine Arts. Winning several state-wide competitions led to scholarship opportunities, and while attending Ohio University she was introduced to hot glass, which became her preferred medium for the next forty years. In 1980 she moved to Portland, Maine after meeting fellow artist Chris Heilman, and together they built the first hot glass studio in the state. Their collaboration produced incredibly detailed works that were deemed historically important by the Smithsonian Institute, which still holds many of their pieces as well as collections in the Portland Museum of Art and the Jones Museum of Glass.  During this time Joyce began studying painting at Portland School of Art, and in 1993 she ended her work with Heilman to move to Boston, Massachusetts and found her own company, Roessler Glass. She met the artist Josh Simpson and collaborated with him for over five years, crafting innovative glass and jewelry pieces. In the early 2000s she began to shift more and more into painting, taking classes and workshops throughout New England. A residency in Cape Ann led her to found Annisquam Studio there, where she now teaches and paints in the plein air style, and her works in both mediums are highly sought by collectors around the globe. 

Great.