| Life takes on many unanticipated curves and one that came my way, for which I am forever grateful, lead me into work with glass. A few years ago I decided that I need an outlet for my creative energy and a reprieve from my hectic life, so I took a class in stained glass. The lamp I made, for some reason still proudly displayed by my husband in my den, keeps me humble to this day. I love glass so much that I have a collection of art sheet glass that my heart will never allow to cut – to me it is stunning and beautiful to look at as is. My fascination of glass goes back to when I was a little girl standing in awe of old church windows in Eastern Europe. The scenic glass murals told a story and I could gaze for hours at the way the light would reflect through and change the images. How did they do that…I wondered. I have always been drawn to primitive art and religious icons, which started my collaboration with Mitko, my husband. I needed designs that I could incorporate in glass, which was a challenge. I wanted integrity in my glasswork, in other words - no paint! Since his major is woodcarving and he is a master at creating beautiful icons, he was able to create designs I could use. Rarely do you see faces in stained glass, because glass is very temperamental and likes to break in straight lines, therefore it is difficult to add dimensions. Although this website shows some of our collaborative stained glass artwork, I have slowly ventured away from traditional stained glass. It was just too restrictive, but as is with first love, it will always be a part me. So, I entered the world of warm glass - melting glass in a kiln that takes the glass to extreme hot temperatures (1500 degrees Fahrenheit), requires knowledge of chemistry, properties of physics and compatibility of different glass. Although, I have had the privilege to take classes from the great glass master Roger Thomas, most of what I know has been trial and error, mostly error. Besides using sheet glass, I frequently incorporate glass powder (frit) and chunks to add texture and depth. Some of my work is formed only from crushed glass and most of my work requires multiple firings that take 12 hours each. As you can tell from my work I love vibrant colors that stand out, there is nothing subtle about my art and some will say about my personality. We hope you enjoy our gallery and thank you for visiting.... |
