Hi,
Just a little bit about myself. I have always been interested in art. My mother realized my artistic talent when I brought one of my flower arrangements to my kindergarten class and my teacher accused my mother of making the arrangement for me (I was five years old). By the time I graduated from high school I had worked with most art mediums, won an award and two art scholarships (one of my teachers wanted to buy my batik work).
My involvement in stained and leaded glass started in 1976 when one of my brothers asked me to design a window for him (he was taking a stained glass class at the time), I thought “if he could do it, so could I.” I have been working with glass ever since.
I became interested in fused-glass in 1989 when I saw some glass jewelry being made. It was love at first sight! I envisioned making vases and plates in this technique.
I was an accomplished stained and leaded glass artist for ten years, teaching and creating commissioned stained glass windows throughout Southern California, before I taught myself fused-glass.
To create my fused-glass pieces, I combine ancient and modern techniques. All of the glass has to be tested for compatibility, (they must expand and contract at the same rate). The glass is then cut, cleaned, assembled, and then put into the glass kiln. The kiln is fired slowly to temperatures between 1200º F and 1600ºF. When the desired effect is achieved the kiln is cooled slowly to relieve stress in the glass. This is called annealing.
I am a native of Southern California, one of eight children, and the only “lefty”. I had to learn to live in a right-handed household and I contribute much of my creativeness to that environment.
My fused-glass art is collected worldwide and I have won several awards for my designs. All of my artwork is made by me.
My studio name is GLASS PALETTE.
Enjoy!
