 About the Artist
I have been working with glass for 30 years. I learned by watching other artists working, but never wanted to take a formal class. I have always learned best by trial and error, which has resulted in my own unique style.
I started working with stained glass using the copper foil method, which involves wrapping the pieces of glass with copper foil and soldering them together along the length of the seams.. My first pieces were sun catchers and lamps, and eventually moved on to stained glass windows for both residential and commercial customers.
Next, I began making stained glass kaleidoscopes, which were sold in specialty stores throughout the U.S. This was when I realized how free you could be working with glass. The farther I got from tradition, the more I enjoyed it. After making kaleidoscopes for a couple of years, I was approached by a representative from the Smithsonian, and one of my kaleidoscopes was featured and sold in the Smithsonian catalog.
While making glass kaleidoscopes, I learned the art of glass blowing, so that I could make the object case (the glass sphere) which catches the light, rather than buying them. Again, this gave me more freedom to make my kaleidoscopes unique.
My growing interest in creating my own art glass led me to become intrigued by the idea of making dichroic glass pendants and using them to create unique jewelry. After a year of creating glass stones in the kiln, I am still amazed every time I open the kiln door to see what has been created. I feel like a child at Christmas waiting for the kiln to cool so I can open it. No two glass pendants are exactly alike. After cutting and two firings at over 1300 degrees and the uniqueness of every cut of dichroic glass, each piece comes out of the kiln with its own subtle coloration and light reflection.
After opening the kiln the very first time, I decided that I will never make two pieces of jewelry the same. When you buy one of my jewelry items, you will know that you are wearing a truly unique piece of art.
A little over a year ago, I moved from the cold to South Florida. After spending countless hours on the beach, I noticed how artistic Nature had carved many of the shells on the beach. The wear of the sand and water, added to the uniqueness of the original shells, created unique, beautiful pieces of art. All the shells in my jewelry are created by the forces of Nature, and are unique. I complement each shell with beads, Swarovski crystals, and silver to create a piece of jewelry which will look ‘just right’ for your beach wedding, or beach-themed wedding.
Use my jewelry as gifts for the bridal party, and they will realize the care you put into selecting their gift.
Hope you have a wonderful wedding, which is a prelude to years of happiness together with your someone special!
You can reach me by e-mail or phone. My e-mail address is aprildawnr@comcast.net . My phone number is 239-221-8524.
|
