About the Artist

Bio

I am a full-time glass artist living and working from a small studio in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains south of Belfry, Montana. I live on a ranchette on the Clarks Fork River with my husband, two adorable Yorkies, and world of wildlife.

I began working with hot glass in 2005. For more than twenty years I worked in various crafts, including, needlework, polymer clay, and silver. I have always been intrigued by beads, especially glass ones, but it never occurred to me that I could make them myself until I saw a newspaper article about a woman who made glass beads. She was offering a one day class. I signed up. I like to tell people that it was the most expensive newspaper I have read in my life. Since then, I use every available opportunity to take classes from the best instructors I can find.

Artist Statement

There is something magical about the flame that draws me in. Heat, gravity, and a few favorite tools help me transform the molten glass.

Glass has changed the way I look at the world.  I’m very inspired by nature & often my inspiration begins with the simple phrase, “How would I do that in glass?”  My work is the result of perpetual persistence & countless hours of experimentation. 

As I continue to grow as an artist I find myself more interested in the tiny details that bring a piece to life. As a result, I spend days creating highly detailed canes called murrini to help fill in the miniscule details that could not otherwise be achieved.