1.    Please tell us more about yourself, your background, education and what you do as an artist.

I am a mother of twin 11 year-old girls, and divide my time between them, my day job and my glasswork. I grew up in Fullerton, went to Laguna Road Elementary, Parks Jr. High and Sunny Hills, then spent time as an exchange student in Sweden. I got my Bachelor’s Degree in Art History and Studio Art from Smith College in Massachusetts, in which time I spent my junior year living in France. I have a Master’s degree in Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona and currently have a day job designing custom homes in the South Bay. My architectural background has led to a love of clean, colorful and modern styling. I am currently working to translate this aesthetic into the fluid medium of glass, making lampworked glass beads and incorporating those pieces into larger pieces of jewelry. I also teach intermediate lampworking classes at a local studio, Brea Bead Works.

2.    How long have you been making jewelry/working with glass?

I have been making basic bead and wire jewelry for over 20 years as a on and off hobby, but became enamored with art glass beads and took my first lampworking class in July of 2007. I was absolutely hooked. Since then I have been working in glass and am currently adding more metalworking to complement my glasswork.

3.    Where do you get your daily inspiration from?

My inspiration typically comes from architecture, fashion and product design. I love clean lines, simple solutions and spend much of my time problem solving to make my jewelry as succinct as possible. I love modernist design in all forms, and tend to look to those for ideas.

4.    Who are your top three biggest influences?

Rudolph Schindler for stunning architecture, Halston for fluid lines and understanding the body, and Charles and Ray Eames for seeing design as something all-encompassing that transcends medium.

5.    Who is your target audience?

I would put my target audience as women 20-40 who prefer a modern, sophisticated look.

6.    How would you describe your art to people?

My jewelry is modern, minimal and sophisticated. Because of its simple lines and pure color, it works just as well with a gown as with a t-shirt and jeans. My pieces are strong in form, straightforward in color, yet subtle in their simplicity. They shout quietly.

7.    What does a typical day of work look like for you?

On days when I go to my day job, I get up very early and answer emails and put together blog posts. I work, then pick up my girls from school and run around taking them to volleyball and gymnastics practices. I will usually spend more time working on my websites and trying to get organized. Because I am selling online, I spend a large chunk of my time keeping those sites up-to-date. A couple times a week, I will spend about 2-4 hours working on my jewelry, either torching or putting new pieces together. I spend in-between time sketching new ideas and thinking about ways to modify my current work.

8.    What are your favorite tools of the trade?  Mediums, supplies, etc.

Because my current work is in what is termed soft glass, I use a number of vendors, but my favorite glass right now is by Bullseye in Oregon. They have fabulous colors that fit my palette perfectly. My current favorite is a steel blue that is to die for. In terms of actual tools, I love my mini-mashers that I use to press my discs, my Infinite Rim marble mold, and my tumbler that polishes all my metalwork and gives a matte finish to some of my glass pieces.

9.    What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to an artist that’s just starting out?

I would say to play around and imitate for a little while if you don’t have a clear vision of what you want to pursue. Then as you find bits of work that you do well and that excites you, start to see how far you can push each idea. Look around at other work that you like, and try to figure out how you can take that and make it your own.

10.    Finally, where can we see your work?

My work can be seen at http://www.formfireglassworks.com and can be purchased at http://formfireglassworks.bigcartel.com.  I also curate a market called Modern Simplicity at http://modernsimplicity.1000markets.com where I show both my own work and choose other merchants whose work is in a simple, modern style.  I have a blog at http://blog.formfireglassworks.com/ where I discuss design, lampworking, online art business and home decor.  My work has been seen in The Flow magazine, and online at NotCouture, paper n stitch, Scoutie Girl and Try Handmade.

Every Monday, we feature a different local artist.  If you or someone you know should be featured, please let us know.