Dean Bensen

Dean Bensen was born and raised in California along the Peninsula south of San Francisco. Growing up in the Bay Area, he developed a love for the hills and surrounding nature. His passion for skiing led him to attend the College of Idaho where he competed on their nationally-ranked cross country ski team.

Initially focused on biology and forestry, Dean's freshman roommate and now accomplished glass artist, Ferdinand Thieriot, intrigued Dean into taking his first glass blowing class. The experience awakened his creative passion for the arts, in particular three-dimensional works and hands-on expression. In 1990, Dean graduated from the College of Idaho with a degree in Art. He went on to apprentice at a glass studio in Sun Valley, Idaho.

Seven years later Dean returned to the Bay Area where he worked in several local studios and taught at San Jose State University before launching Dean Bensen's Glass Designs. Since then he has been the Artist in Residence at Palo Alto High Schools glass program where he spent two years teaching and developing a new body of work in which his individual style began to emerge. His work is an array of different forms and colors. He experiments with advanced techniques to create unique twists on traditional forms.

Dean is now working on a series of glass Redwood trees to capture the beauty of the Old Growth forests which he grew up around. In addition, he teaches and creates his art at Public Glass in San Francisco.

My furry friend and former hiking companion Hoodoo, who you see pictured above has recently passed away and is now hiking the tallest peaks again.

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