About the artist:

I have always wanted to create. As a child all my Girl Scout badges were in arts and crafts. I majored in Apparel Design at Virginia Tech, where I also studied architecture and fine art history. After graduation I continued to sew and design clothing and work as an interior designer. In 1975 my husband and I resettled in Colorado Springs and raised two fine sons. During my few spare moments I designed needlework, wedding clothing and dabbled in doll house miniatures.
In 1999, my medium of expression changed from fiber to glass when I discovered stained glass. After filling every window in my home and the windows of my friends, I puzzled over what to do with all he scraps of glass I could not throw away. It was then that I learned of the oldest technique of glass forming known as fused glass. It would allow me the freedom of expression in assembling various pieces of glass according to my taste and design. But I discovered an additional reward with the alchemy of heat. The majority of the finished work is mine, but the heat from the kiln transforms the glass so dramatically that every time I open the kiln it is like Christmas morning!

About the work:

The design process starts with the finished piece in mind-it’s final size, shape and function. Then I draw on the influences of the Art Deco period, with its sleek, geometric forms and stylized imagery in decoration and design, while I experiment with line, color, texture and balance to achieve a pleasing whole. I try to learn something new with each project, whether it be design, color combinations or firing techniques. Working with glass, I have learned to respect the material, be awed by the transformation with heat and to wonder at future possibilities.