Meet Linda of Papernclay

Meet Linda of Papernclay!

You can visit her Etsy store here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=28593

How many years have you been an artist?

I think I was born an artist. I've always had to be making something or doing something with my hands as a child.

How many years have you worked with glass?

It's been pretty close to three years.

What triggers ideas for new projects?Nature,color,shapes,textures,patterns,seasons,suggestions from others..... they mostly just happen.

When do ideas come to you? How often?

All the time- very frequently. Most of the time I forget them before I get to use them!

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?

I physically work on my art about 20 hours a week. It's hard to measure how much I think about it. I just started lampworking and it really has me charged so I make little lists of things as I think of them to take with me to the studio.

Do you create daily?

Yes, if I can't get to the studio I am always thinking about getting there. It's an obsession of sorts.

How important is it for you to create art?

I've never really thought about that but it must be pretty important, for every spare moment, I think about creating if I am not actually doing it.

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?

Have you given up certain luxuries?

No I do not feel it is a sacrifice at all. I instead feel it to be a priveledge. I have however given up my kitchen table to have a convenient work area, one where I can also be with my family as they may need me, or just to listen to their telephone calls.

Describe your studio.

My studio is the furnace room in the basement. A place where glass is remote from my family. I have 2 kilns, a torch, a grinder and lots of glass and other supplies. It's quiet there and The only noise is when the furnace kicks in. I really like it there. I even have two small windows which is one thing I'd change if I could- lots of sunlight would be welcome there.

Tell me something about you.

I work fulltime as a floral designer where I've been employed for 32 years. I have 2 wonderful children 19 and 10 years old. I also enjoy the fellowship of a wonderful church family where I volunteer in the children's ministy. I teach children's church regularly and coordinate the crafts for our annual Bible School program. I believe life is short and one needs to do what makes them happy...within reason of course!

Meet Christine Hanses of CHRIS1

I am pleased to introduce you to ...

Christine Hanses of CHRIS1.

You can visit her wonderful shop here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=47617

How many years have you been an artist?
I would have to say that I still don’t consider myself an “artist”. However I have been doing only glasswork for 7 yrs now.

How many years have you worked with glass?

I have been working with glass for 29 yrs now, in stained glass and lampworking and fused glass also I love to do hot glass (blown glass) and I even went through a stepping stone era when I was doing Landscaping.

What triggers ideas for new projects?
Just about anything that I see. I like flowers so they play a big part...but I see beauty all around me so I keep my mind open. When I make an item I sometimes put it up till I can think of how to use it.

When do ideas come to you?
I get ideas all the time.... but my best pieces are usually made from mistakes. I have tried writing/drawing in a booklet that I take with me but am not real good at doing that. How often?
Some times daily or several times a day then sometimes I go for weeks without any ideas.

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?
50% of the time~ then some days more and then other days less so I guess it averages out to about 50% of the day. Even when I am away from home I am still thinking about it.

Do you create daily?
I try to but I also do a lot of traveling so when I am home I am always creating something. When away I am wishing I had my small kiln with me to work with.

How important is it for you to create art?
That's something that I have been wrestling with lately. It is very important to me to be creating with my glass. My husband is going to be retiring in the next several yrs. And we will be moving out of state so downsizing may be something that I need to do. So I have been trying to figure out if the next part of my life will be including my glass obsession. I have to be honest with myself ~that I truly can’t see myself living without all my glass and supplies.

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?
Have you given up certain luxuries?
I’m sure if I was younger and just starting out it would be difficult but I have not had to sacrifice anything. Since I was working when I was first starting out I was able to get a lot of equipment and things then. The best part is that now that I am retired I have the best of both worlds. I have all the luxuries I want with no sacrificing.

Describe your studio.
Right now my studio is in the basement. I have about half the basement so it is not a small studio but as studios go the more you have the more you want. I have enough room for the equipment that I use now, but I still want that sand blaster etc…. lol…. we know there is so much more equipment to have….

Tell me something about you.
I worked 18 yrs. at the School For the Blind in Michigan, with deaf blind students mostly. While working full time with the help of my truly wonderful, supportive husband, I attended our local community college and got my degree in Horticulture. I sold well over 900 stained glass pieces to my co- workers at this time also. We raised our son together during that time. It was a very busy time of my life. Now our son is 29 and lives out of state and has his own life so I can get back to my art. For several yrs., I designed other people’s gardens and landscaping. Then I injured myself and glasswork became my life work. That’s when I was able to get my studio set up and really go after my art. I love taking classes and attending all the glass conferences that I can.

Meet Florence Niven of Nivenglassoriginals

Meet Florence Niven of Nivenglassoriginals.

You can visit her wonderful shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5265784

How many years have you been an artist?
I can't remember when I wasn't drawing. I always knew I was going to be an artist, it was just a matter of making it happen. I have been a Graphic Designer since 1983. Along with my freelance design work, I was an illustrator for a greeting card company for ten years, and I organized art workshops for various area schools for 7 years. I left that all behind me when I took my first stained glass course. I am now working full time as a glass artist.

How many years have you worked with glass?
I took my first stained glass course in 2000. The first project that I completed was the last time I used someone else's pattern. I approach my glass designs as I approach any new design challenge - taking into consideration the limitations and restrictions of glass and working around them.

What triggers ideas for new projects?
I am seldom without a sketch book, or at least a scrap of paper. I've been doing this long enough to know that inspiration comes from all over - a passage from a book, a walk in the park, design magazines, fashion, movies. My background as a graphic designer informs how I see things; my designs tend to be clean and precise - less is definitely more. But I also like to keep a sense of humor in my work - I don't take myself too seriously.

When do ideas come to you? How often?
I used to panic about the 'next' idea when I was working with a greeting card deadline - very much a 'hurry up and wait' environment - hurry up with the illustration; wait for the decision from the art director. I eventually just started trusting that the ideas would come to me. I have notebooks all over the house - in my car - in my purse. I'm always scribbling ideas that I may work with eventually, or that may trigger another direction for my work. The advantage of working for myself is that I give myself time to fully realize my ideas, and permission to rework them until they are exactly the way I want them to be.

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?
I usually work an 8:30 am - 3 pm day. However, this is not really work that you can 'leave at the office' - especially when the office is just downstairs. I often work on new ideas or finish projects at night.

Do you create daily?
Absolutely! A day when I am not creative is not a good day.

How important is it for you to create art?
See above! ; ) It is extremely important for me to be creative - and to work on my own. I don't like being told what to do - (I'm a virgo) - I like having full creative control. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do what I love to do. I appreciate every sale that I make because it allows me to continue being creative.

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?
Have you given up certain luxuries?
I think you have to be willing to adapt if you are choosing to be a full time artist - it's not an easy path. If the work isn't along one path, change directions. It also helps to have a supportive partner who values what you do and is there as a safety net and cheerleader in the lean times. Choosing to be a glass artist full time was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The fact that I am able to wake up each morning and know that I will be creative that day is a blessing.

Describe your studio.
I have 3 work areas. A drafting table in my 'clean' studio with a light table and a huge window, where I design my pieces. In the glass area, I have 2 large work surfaces - one for cutting and grinding the glass - the messy work, and one for finishing the pieces - adding the findings, beading etc. I have a tiny - Easy Bake Oven size - kiln that's ancient, and that I use rarely these days, and another large floor kiln that I use all the time. I have a radio in each area, and have been known to crank up the occasional tune, put down my cutting tools, and dance around my studio - another advantage of working alone.

Tell me something about you.
I am married to an incredibly supportive husband who gets this whole creative thing! We just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We have two sons - Chris and Ben - both in university.

Meet Krista Queeney Of KristasKiln

Meet Krista Queeney Of KristasKiln

You can visit her great Etsy store here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5186368

How many years have you been an artist?
I have always been interested in art in some form. Over the years I’ve learned you don’t need to create a masterpiece to be an artist. If you have a creative mind and can find the beauty in the every day world, you are an artist.

How many years have you worked with glass?
I have been working with glass for about two years now. It was at a craft fair that I first saw the magic of dichroic glass and it just sparked something inside me that made me have to learn more.

What triggers ideas for new projects?
Ideas can come to me by simply going through a craft or decorating magazine, reading about a new technique on-line and seeing all the beautiful and varied works in the CGGE. Many times I am at my work table with various pieces and colors and the inspiration comes suddenly from playing around with what is there in front of me. I will start making something totally different than what I originally planned.

When do ideas come to you? How often?
Sometimes I think of a way of doing something new as I am going to sleep. I need to get up and write it down so I can fall asleep without worrying I am going to forget by morning! My car is another place where new ideas can spring up. I keep paper and a pen in there just in case.

What percentage of the day do you think about or work on your art?
I try to get as much done in the morning as I can. Once my kids are home from school they take up my time until they are in bed. Late nights at my worktable are also not uncommon.

Do you create daily?
Between my glass and photography it is a rare day when art is not a part of it.

How important is it for you to create art?
It is simply part of who I am.

Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?
Have you given up certain luxuries?
It has only been in the past two years that I have forsaken a regular paycheck to concentrate more fully on my glass. I’ve always fit art in between my regular job and raising my kids.

Describe your studio.
It’s just a small corner of our basement. Nothing fancy in the least. It’s next to the family room so I have lots of company down there.

Tell me something about you.
I have lived on the coast of Massachusetts my whole life. I’ve been married 16 years and have three great children ages 9-13. Besides glass and photography, I also enjoy working with clay. I love to read, bike ride and get out for walks in the woods or the beach.