Artist Bio:
I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and lived there for 34 years before moving to Spokane, Washington, in 2004.
My family and I moved across the state to Vancouver, Washington, across the river from Portland, Oregon, in 2012 and have been enjoying and being inspired by the landscape and diversity of the area.
I have done multiple stained glass projects in both Vancouver and Portland areas and have met some wonderful people just as I have wherever we have lived.
I graduated from the University of Alaska, Anchorage, with a BA in Art in 1993. Since then, I have focused on two mediums: stained glass and oil painting.
I have been working with stained glass since 1991. I started out with the intention of becoming a medical illustrator, until I started to paint with oils (a medium that is much more freeing).
I came to understand that I have the gift of synethesia. Synesthesia is when you hear music and see shapes and/or color. So, when working with oil paints (such as my musical series), I'm trying to paint visually what an instrument sounds like.
My Mission:
To Nourish Your Soul Through a Symphony of Light and Colour.
Artist Statement:
Portraying the life and energy of something is the inspiration for my work. The "something" could be a tree, an instrument, music, emotion or the human form.About My Work: Stained Glass
In 1991, I began as an apprentice with glass artist John Dobbs. I originally apprenticed for 4 years with John (who is now in New York).
I started my own business in 1996 and have clients in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California and Japan.
The process begins by talking with the client to get a feel for what they like and looking at the surrounding area where the piece is to be installed. I blend elements from the architecture, how the client decorates their home, elements outside the home such as a tree, wind or water, and come up with 1 to 3 designs that compliment the space. The flow of the room is important in determining how the design should flow. The transition from sketch to final piece can vary somewhat as I work with the subtleties of the glass.
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This particular piece was created for the office of a massage therapist.
The transition from sketch to final piece can vary somewhat
as I work with the subtleties of the glass.
I enjoy combining different clear textures to give dimension, privacy, if needed, and light play. I find that the clear textured glass continually changes as the light and seasons change. Colored glass is used as accents to create interplay and move the eye around.
My designs are subtle, asymmetrical and flowing. They have layers in the visual experience: the more you look, the more there is to see and appreciate.
I specialize in hand beveled and bonded glass to give added dimension and light play.
Typically beveled glass has a uniform bevel around the shape.
I began playing with the idea of changing the width of the bevel from one side to another and even on the same side. Doing this has created much more movement, depth and light play.
An example of this can be seen in Detail #1 of the bathroom window.
This detail also shows a colored piece beveled and bonded onto the clear bevel. This gives added depth, movement and play with light.
I enjoy seeing the excited look on a clients face and hearing it in their voices when a window is in place. I find it very rewarding to add joy to someone's life.
About My Work: Oil Painting
I paint different emotions that I have when I observe things around me such as music, the movement of a tree in autumn, the human figure in a particular pose or the way an instrument sounds.
I paint in oils because I love the vibrant color, the smoothness of the paint, the smell of the oil, the way I can blend colors together or layer on top of each other.
I am able to express an emotion on the canvas in such a way that I am unable to in other ways.
The depth in my work I believe comes from the type of light I grew up with in Alaska. The extremes of lots of light in the summer to the lack of it in the winter instilled a deep sense of light/dark interplay.
The person who influenced me to begin oil painting is my mentor and friend, artist Joan Kimura. She taught and inspired me in drawing and painting to be free, to experiment, to learn from the master artists but not get so caught up in their style. I am grateful for her being in by life.
I am enjoying working with glass and oils and how they are intertwining with each other.
Thanks for stopping by my site. I invite you to check out my blog.
I hope that you enjoyed my work and that you will tell your friends.
