About Us
Philosophy
This project aims to suggest, through the use of color and light, the subtle aspects that inspire the human soul. When I set out to design NightOrbsTM, I intended to fuse the curative powers of light, color, and nature into a single, enduring work of landscape art that can be appreciated in gardens throughout the year and for many years to come.
In 1999, I initially considered incorporating hand-blown glass into the natural environment. I decided to go with a spherical form because many people believe it to be the ideal shape. NightOrbsTM is a marriage of color and light; they are an ethereal presence in a garden, an item of beauty, a cause for thought, and an incredibly durable and practical landscape illumination.
A reaction is also prompted in the observer by color. A sudden expansion of the color palette and the induction of emotional response can be achieved, for instance, by viewing Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies” if the correct color combinations and spatial relationships are used.
My personal responses to color and light inspired me to create the color mixtures used in NightOrbsTM. The recipes have been refined over the years and are only retained when they have demonstrated their efficacy — their capacity to sing — in the garden.
Tom Rupnicki, Owner/CEO and Judy Fowler, Artist
Our Founder
As an artisan, glassblower, and conceptual designer, Tom Rupnicki is the person primarily responsible for the creative direction of NightOrbs. Following a successful career as the owner of his own commercial flooring firm, he established LaSorgente in 1997.
Tom received instruction in glassblowing from seasoned professionals at the Tyler School of Art in the suburbs of Philadelphia and the Corning studio in New York. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography from Columbia College of Art in Chicago, where he also completed his studies in ceramics at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Tom’s work has been featured in galleries throughout the United States, including:
American Craftsman, New York City
Vertri Gallery, Kauai, Hawaii
Artique, Lexington, Kentucky
A Gallery of Fine Art, Palm Desert, California
SJG, Inc., Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Kane-Marie, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Seekers Glass Gallery, Cambria, California
Gallery Vetro, San Antonio, Texas
Accent Gallery, Ocean City, New Jersey
Gingerbread Gallery, Key West, Florida
