ABOUT ME

My father was a TV repairman and from him, I learned to be fearless in confronting a problem and patient when the outcome was less than desired. My mother was a caretaker and took pride in a job well done. She taught me to be disciplined and to always take pride in my work. With these influences, along with my natural love of learning and a strong and persistent desire to create things, I taught myself to knit. And thus my journey into the creative world had begun.

My path began in the fibre arts. As a very tactile person, the feel of yarn and fabric was as important to me as the look of the finished product. I alternated between knitting and quilting. With my mother’s practical influence, I made functional items, but, never content to simply follow instructions, I regularly modified patterns to create unique and beautiful sweaters and quilts. My love of learning put me on a path to explore other mediums and led me to watercolour painting where the combination of colour selections and the paint’s tendency to move and flow created amazing images. Studies in acrylic painting enabled me to gain additional control over compositions and to add an element of texture my work.

Even as I studied and worked with other mediums, I have always been drawn to glass art. Glass has a very strong relationship with light and colour, with shadow and reflection, and with texture and dimension. A finished piece is dynamic and can change simply by changing the light around it. One fused glass bowl can become three glass bowls simply by displaying it in a sunny window and watching the morning, afternoon and evening reflections play. Naturally, I took a class in glass blowing. Unfortunately, I sucked at blowing. Although this seemed like a disappointing setback, it actually led me to take a fused glass workshop. It was as though the heavens opened up and the crepuscular rays shone upon me. I knew instantly that I had found my muse.