 I was astonished the first time a saw a piece of dichroic jewelry. The colors are so brilliant and they shift from one color to another when moved. Chameleon like, the colors seem to match any surface they are touching. Dichroic Glass is valued and prized in the art glass world for this brilliant iridescent play of colors. The "di" in dichroic is of Greek origin; it means ‘two’. Dichroic glass has two colors in its coatings--a reflected color and a transmitted color. The coating that produces this magical color phenomenon is actually multiple, micro-thin layers of precious metal oxides that are deposited on the surface of the glass at high temperatures in a vacuum. This beautiful glass was originally developed for the aerospace industry and has been available to artists since the 1990's. It is the most expensive glass produced.
 My fused jewelry is created by firing many thin layers of the finest dichroic and art glass together in a kiln. Each little glass component is carefully hand cut and arranged into 2 to 5 layers and fired at least three times. Each piece of jewelry is designed as a unique, one of a kind work of art.
I derive great pleasure by creating beautiful functional objects that can be used and enjoyed each day. The stimulus for my art making comes from the earth, from nature; the color of a fallen leaf, texture of a stone, pattern of tree bark, a twirl of a vine or the play of light on water. The richness of the natural world inspires my everyday life as well as my artwork. My drawings and paintings influence my work in the glass studio.
I have a BFA degree in studio art and as a high school art teacher have been sharing my love of art with young people for twenty-one years. My work has been shown at many Houston area art festivals and can been seen in The DaVinci Artists Gallery in Tomball Texas . |
