Dan Gaumer was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and studied at the Philadelphia College of Art. His glass has been featured in gallery exhibitions nationwide. He has also been affiliated with the American Craft Council. Since 1994 Gaumer has been intrigued with the possibility of combining blown glass and pate de verre, a very different process in which crushed glass is packed into a refractory mold and melted at temperatures exceeding 1600 F. In 1998 he began his latest work, the Core series. The uniqueness of his work is in the use of the pate de verre, which when applied during the blowing process, becomes an integral part of the piece.
"I have always been intrigued with the possibility of combining blown glass and pate de verre, a very different process in which crushed glass is packed into a refractory mold and melted at high temperatures. After a great deal of experimentation, I developed techniques which allow pate de verre images to be applied to the vessel with a small amount of molten glass, referred to as a 'bit', during the blowing process. When complete, they become an integral part of the piece. The imagery in this work has been influenced by my interest in nature and the environment. The image designs are first sculpted in clay, from which a plaster and silica mold is made. The mold is then filled with colored crushed glass 'frit' and fired in a kiln at temperatures reaching 1600 degrees. After the images have been annealed and cooled, they are cleaned and prepared for attachment to the vessel. I hope the techniques that have evolved will enable me to produce work that is exceptional and expresses my passion for the glass medium.”