When I was 8 years old I saw glassblowing for the first time. I was immediately captivated by the heat and excitement. How could it be a liquid and a solid at the same time? Why was it glowing? Would they let me try it? If I could have run away and joined the glassblowing circus, I would have! Fast forward 12 years later and I turned my curiosity into a career.
I began my career in Baltimore, Maryland as an apprentice at the Corradetti Glass Studio. During my eight year tenure there, I expanded my education with classes at The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass. At Corning, I met Mark Ditzler. He later became my glass mentor, guiding my career along its current path.
I began teaching classes in various glass making techniques and processes in 2003. Teaching in my early career days allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of my art. Through teaching, I have formed relationships with artists around the world that have enriched my life and art.
In 2010, I established a glass fusing program at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, Maryland. Upon moving to Fredericksburg, Virginia, I developed the glass program at the LibertyTown Arts Workshop, where I still teach and show my work today. In addition to LibertyTown, I regularly teach at The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, and Weisser Glass in Kensington, Maryland.
I have always loved patterns and geometry. I like the physical manifestation of math that geometry creates. Geometric patterns are a reflection of the processes in the natural world and a window into how all things are interconnected. Presently my work is inspired by microscopic diatoms and the radial symmetry found in many living things. I am currently creating a new line of functional and decorative art inspired by these aspects of nature.