Throughout my career in the environment and clean energy, I have always been attracted to the "people" side, whether it was educating the public about solar and energy efficiency or developing programs to engage young people in saving energy in their schools and homes.  (Even back in the 70's when I was building my own passive solar house, I taught woodworking at the UMass women's center.)

I seem to have the same inclination lately in my glass work, as I find that I love to help people experience the fun of glassmaking.  I will never stop making art and that will probably continue to be my primary focus, but I also hope to expand the ways in which I bring other people into my studio to make glass art.  

I am doing that through my "Creative Afternoons" in which up to 6 people make either plates or jewelry.  These have been just delightful for me, and I believe everyone participating has had the same response.  I hope to do that also in introductory fused glass classes -- 10 hours probably, divided into two 5-hour blocks or 5 2-hour blocks.  And I have invited a talented neighborhood 9-year old to come work with me on occasion.  Lots of joy to spread around!  

Let me know if you are interested!  I'm just getting classes started, but eager to have a small group and get going.  And if you have a few friends you want to gather for a fun afternoon, we can find a time! 

On Saturday my studio was graced with three sets of mothers and daughters, including a mom and her enthusiastic 9-year old, a mom with her mother-in-law, and my own daughter-in-law. What a treat!  Everyone seemed to have a great time, and the plates are gorgeous!  Most of the plates are still in the kiln, but below is one beauty.

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My booth at the Maryland Christmas Show was right by the fabulous santa, so I had a front-row seat to the stream of toddlers dressed in charming holiday outfits and older kids holding their belief in Santa close to their chests like a precious charm.  It was a fun time, and while the conversation was occasionally interrupted by the wail of a frightened child I enjoyed talking to the shoppers and browsers.  

Every show has its own personality and favorite pieces, and this crowd was especially interested in the my Christmas tree ornaments, pendants and earrings.  I originally made only the tree ornaments, but after the fifth person asked if they were pendants I went home and made a bunch of them into pendants and earrings!  I'll have plenty of these on hand for the Studio Open House and Sale on the 10-11th.

This won't be a surprise to you -- but I think glass is really beautiful!  (Check out joyofglass.com​ for more reasons.)  And I have a lot of great small pieces in my studio that I love but don't know quite what to do with.  So when my friend Rana asked me to make pocket pieces, I was intrigued.  Pocket pieces?  She explained that these are small pieces of beautiful glass that you can keep in your pocket.  Not jewelry, not even key fobs (although I could put a hole in them) but just a small piece of art to have in your pocket.  
I am in favor of anything that gets art glass out into the world, even if it's usually hidden in your pocket.  

These are samples of what I would consider Pocket Pieces.  I would charge $15 for small ones (dichro about 1"x1", non dichro a bit larger).   Leave me a note​ and let me know what you think -- would you like glass in your pocket?



Join me at Art in the Park in Annapolis this weekend if you're in the area.  Joy of Glass will be at Quiet Waters Park, 10 to 5 both days.  There will be 70+ artists, as well as music and food.  (Cost - $6 per car per day.)

Give a unique wedding remembrance box to your favorite bride and groom.  The glass lids of these finely crafted hardwood boxes can highlight a photo or invitation (or both), and provide a special place to keep the precious objects that remind you of the joy of your wedding.  Contact me if interested.

Don't miss this fabulous art glass show, opening April 8th at VisArts in Rockville, MD.  This juried exhibition of fine art glass begins with a reception from 7 - 9 April 8th, and runs through May 1 at 155 Gibbs St.  My Piece, The Tipping Point, is part of the show.

Special events on April 24th 
Artist talk 2:00
Glass demonstrations from 1 - 4 

​Hope to see you there!

One of the wonderful qualities of glass is its depth -- using layers of transparent glass, your eye can wander around within a piece.  I have used this quality in glass scenes, as in the landscape piece shown above in the header, and also in jewelry.  Of course layers of glass make for a thick piece -- not always desirable in jewelry!  So I have been working on create layers of dichroic (sparkly) glass that are still thin enough to make good jewelry.  It's not easy to photograph these pieces because the camera doesn't know quite where to focus, but I do my best.  My latest piece, below, was made with a base layer of red and three layers of transparent dichro.  It's about 1" around and will be set in silver as a pendant.

This January completes my first year of full-time focus on my glass art, and it's been quite a ride!  I'm gratified that my art has brought beauty to many people, grateful that I've been able to learn many new techniques, and delighted that I've made many new pieces.  And now, I'm happy to be able to step back and take a breath in this season with few shows and pressures.  

I will use the opportunity to to communicate with you, my customers and friends, via this web site and a new robust social media presence.  I have a number of new products to share, including glass photo remembrance boxes, new styes of jewelry, custom lighting sconces -- -- stay tuned!

​I invite you to share your thought, feedback, and ideas -- I'd love to hear from you!

Merrilee

I have  finally selected a logo for Joy of Glass,  using a crowd-sourcing process in which I reviewed over 100 designs, had a focus group help me judge the designs, and eventually  found one I liked.   I think it captures  the color, spirit , and creative process in my glass art.   Here it is, hope you like it!