x
Breaking News
More () »

Artist creates one-of-a-kind 'EnergyWebs'

"I've created a whole new form of artwork."

Boxers who can’t take a hit are sometimes said have a glass jaw. Dennis DeBon isn’t exactly that, but does appreciate a good piece of glass.

“I boxed long enough to learn that I didn’t like to get hit,” said DeBon with a chuckle.

Now a professional boxing referee, DeBon is shaping glass as a hobby-turned-business and creating something truly unique.

“I created my first one in the year 2000,” said DeBon from his home studio as he cracked a chunk of glass off a square sheet. “So, 18 years of experience creating these things.”

DeBon calls his colorful creations EnergyWebs. They are a combination of glass and paint, artfully and carefully combined while the glass is in motion. The EnergyWebs process involves dropping paint on spinning oblong circles of hand-cut glass. After the artist completes the final application of paint, he meticulously evaluates the design before letting the final piece dry. The entire process can take DeBon four days.

“It’s a lot harder than slapping paint on glass,” he said. “There’s a lot of energy involved in creating this artwork and some of them have a web-type look to them.”

DeBon sells his EnergyWebs at art fairs and online. He takes orders based on desired colors. The Energy Webs range in size from 18 to 36-inches. His EnergyWebs are on display all over the country. DeBon is delivering multiple pieces to Coconut Grove, Fla. this weekend. He says he’s the only person in the world combining spin art and reverse painting techniques on glass.

“I’ve created a whole new form of artwork.”

Many of his pieces are on display in Florida CraftArt, a gallery near his St. Petersburg home. The round colorful artworks catch rays of light and reflect different shades of paint around the room.

“As I understand it, he’s the only person who has put this work on glass,” said Katie Deits, the executive director of Florida CraftArt, a non-profit gallery that houses the work of over 250 artists. “The colors are beautifully chosen.”

Dennis was commissioned to create the Richard Dawkins Award and his art was presented to James “The Amazing” Randi, Carl Sagan’s widow, Ann Druyan, and the winners of the Zora Neale Hurston awards.

Before You Leave, Check This Out