I've been working with glass (specifically, kiln-form glass masks) for more than 20. I made my first mask early in my training and since then almost every piece of glass I see becomes a mask. It was so rewarding to make my first mask, it transformed my life. Working with glass has always been therapeutic for me but fused glass is especially inspiring because the finished product stays a surprise until the kiln is cool enough to open – sometimes this can be more than a week! To this day, I'm still filled with wonder as each new mask is revealed. Sometimes the finished product is so funny I laugh out loud. Sometimes the finished product is so majestic, I can’t believe I could've created it!

Before my glass process begins, I make plaster molds using people’s actual faces. I then cut out a face-shape of glass and use various colors and textures to add facial elements or design. I fuse in layers to gain perspective and depth. On the final firing I place a plaster face mold into the kiln and balance the flat glass right on top of the mold to make the finished product three-dimensional.

I currently live in Salt Lake City and am public relations chair for the Glass Art Guild of Utah. Prior to moving to SLC, I was a partner in Fe Gallery, Sacramento, CA. This year I am learning some new glass techniques and looking for totems from countries around the world in order to turn them into glass. I studied anthropology in college and have been intrigued with masks ever since.