Travers Thurman is a flameworker and glass artist based in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where he creates intricate borosilicate glass marbles and paperweights, specializing in encasing detailed tree forms in clear glass. His process involves mixing colors into cane, drawing them down into fine stringers, and using these to handcraft elements of the trees. Through careful placement of semitransparent colors and layers of clear, he aims to mimic the effect of light passing through leaves when the artwork is backlit. This technique requires precision to avoid bubbles and burn marks.

Inspired by Impressionism, Thurman adapts the concept of mixing colors intentionally to convey a wealth of information with each individual mark, creating a rich visual texture in the three-dimensional space of glass. After debuting his tree series at the Marbles in the Mountains show in 2022 at Level 42 Gallery in Asheville, NC, where he sold out his collection, Thurman embraced his focus on this distinctive style. He continues to work from a private studio in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina, drawing constant inspiration from the natural world that surrounds him.