Poppy Arts Blog

As a fused glass artist, lately I am drawn to complex patterns and color, and determining how to translate them into glass. My grandmother made quilts from scraps of fabric, and my dad made photo collages by snipping negatives and recombining them. Some of my work looks like the crazy quilts of my youth.

In my earlier life, I was bitten by the travel bug, and toured exotic lands like Indonesia and Turkey. I brought home textiles from these and other trips, and they now adorn my Columbia home. While I haven’t traveled to Africa, I am especially fond of mudcloth and kente cloth. I’ve made a series of work using this design concept. I also incorporate trade beads into some of my work.

My latest passion was sparked by the art kimonos of Itchiku Kubota. I’m trying to figure out how to make, and display, glass kimonos. This also reflects another challenge I enjoy: figuring out how to make a work in glass that is inspired by another medium. Making glass art that is both technically proficient and aesthetically pleasing makes for some interesting contemplation.

In the other part of my life, I’ve been a practicing psychologist for over thirty years. While both occupations require lots of thinking, the actual activities of the jobs are quite different. As a psychologist, I’m intensely involved with other people, listening and interacting. As an artist, I am more drawn inward, to listen to my own voice. I think the combination of both provide a nice balance in my life.

Another reason I work with glass is simply because I have to. While I have very little formal training in the arts, once I began working with glass thirteen years ago, I was immediately love struck. My love of the medium continues today, and will hopefully carry me into the future.