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Callahan, a native of the Pacific Northwest and a well-respected hot glass artist was born and raised on Whidbey Island.
This small island north of Seattle, WA, and the surrounding area, flourishes with exceptional glass artists. But very few of them are able to dedicate their lives to their art as Callahan has.
As a child, Callahan was exposed to the artistic culture of his birthplace, and he was always captivated and interested in the artform of glass. His passion to create his art began during his first year of high school and it was at that time that he knew that he could best express himself through glass.
Callahan began working in the summer months as a commercial fisherman, to provide the funds that he needed to continue with his passion of glass in the winter months. After enduring many summers on fishing vessels, Callahan had saved enough money to begin his search for his own glass studio.
In 2000, Callahan discovered a piece of property that was perfect. This location was on South Whidbey Island. With a pond situated at the back of the property and an astonishing view of Mt. Pilchuk (The famous Pilchuk Glass School was founded nearby by glass artist Dale Chihuly in 1971) from the front of the property, Callahan knew that he had found the ideal environment to fuel his passion for glass, and to finally focus on his career as a glass artist.
His glassworks speak of his passion, and Callahan's recipe for his art is comprised of many intricate ingredients. When asked what is required to produce works of art in this medium, Callahan's response is "It is a combination of a lot of heat, a little physics, a knowledge of gravity's affect, and, mostly, skill and creativity.
Most importantly, Callahan's glasswork is fueled by his love of the artform, and the personal satisfaction that he gets from pleasing the beholder. Callahan experiments with many primary colors in his work, because he feels that primary colors have a triggering effect on the beholder's subconscious, that tends to bring perpetual enjoyment.
Callahan masterfully draws from his own experiences and memories from time spent as a fisherman on the open waters. Glass resembles the ocean to Callahan, and working with hot glass enables him to capture the movement of a fluid-like substance and then freezes it forever in its solid form.
The fascination of glass blowing, to Callahan, is that this artform allows him to constantly change and evolve as an artist. While it employs ancient techniques, it openly embraces something new. Several private and corporate art collectors have selected Callahan's glass, including collections in the United Kingdom and Hong Kong. Many distinguished architects and designers have commissioned Callahan to create glasswork for their most discriminating clients.
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