My Journey As a Glass Artist

I am sometimes asked how I came to be a glass artist. Here is my story…

I am a third-generation glass artist.

My father and grandfather were both stained glass artisans who mastered their craft in Europe. My parents immigrated to the United States in the mid-to-late 1950s, and a few years later they opened a small glass and custom framing shop in New York City. I grew up in that shop and have been surrounded by glass for pretty much my entire life.

It never occurred to my father to pass his craft on to me—a girl. And honestly, I never thought of it either. But even as a child, I was fascinated by stained glass. Sitting in church on Sundays, I loved watching the brilliant colors from the stained glass windows high above dance across the tiled floor below.

Fast forward…

I graduated from college and began a career as a Computer Programmer. I married a wonderful man, moved to Texas, and had two great children.

My path back to glass began years later when I asked my father to create a custom stained glass window for my home. Instead of making it himself, he said, “Why don’t I just show you how to do it?”

In the summer of 2002, he handed me his hand tools, insisted I design my own pattern, and taught me the craft using traditional methods. It felt like being thrown into the deep end, but the moment I started, I realized where my true passion lay. I dove in completely—studying design, practicing techniques, and staying up late with ideas swirling in my head. I remember thinking, “Where has this been all my life? Why didn’t I do this sooner?”

When constructing a stained glass piece, I still use the same time-honored methods my father taught me. Each piece of glass is cut by hand and assembled using lead came, then soldered, weatherproofed, and finished with a hand-rubbed patina. When a design calls for it, I also use the copper foil method of construction, sometimes known as the Tiffany method.

Then came fused glass…

In 2009, I expanded into glass fusing with my first small studio kiln, bringing functional art into my work. Today, working with three studio kilns—affectionately named Baby Bear, Mama Bear, and Papa Bear—my creative focus centers primarily on fused glass. I create wall art, garden art, decorative plates, bowls, suncatchers, and custom pieces.

I love the color. I love the texture. I love the way light transforms glass. And most of all, I love experimenting with new designs, techniques, and ideas to see what I can create. Glass art has been in my blood all along—a  lifelong legacy waiting for the right moment to flourish.