Artist statement:

As a glass artist, I love how light moves through glass. I believe that allure of glass beads is the simple enduring beauty of the glass itself: the joy they will bring for generations, and their accessibility as miniature works of art.

My approach to glass bead making is as simple as slowing down and letting the glass reveal its complex nature, showing me which ways it wants to be manipulated and molded.

When working with the molten glass, I am constantly mesmerized by the fluidity of the once solid glass, and the unpredictability inherent in melting and changing its form. I find inspiration in the glass itself, and the ways in which it shows me what to do next.

As a child, I was always doing something creative; drawing or painting, always experimenting to see what I could do. But instead of art, I pursued a career in science, to further understand and appreciate the world around me, yet still posing the questions of, "What else is possible?" and, " Are there any limits?" It is that innate curiosity which drives me to see what else I can do to release the glass' secrets-it keeps me fascinated and passionate about creating my beads.

While it takes a great deal of skill and determination, and is not without its heartaches, creating beads is where I find my inner peace.