Meet Cindy of ccvalenzo

Meet Cindy of ccvalenzo

You can visit her wonderful shop here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5109478

How many years have you been an artist?

I've been working with glass about 20 years. I started out in mosaics as a teen and then stained glass which I occasionally do and now into fused glass.
How many years have you worked with glass?

I've been an artist in one way or another all my life. I have this need to create and have done quite a bit from sewing to painting.
What triggers ideas for new projects?

Just about anything I see may trigger a new idea. It may be a scarf I've seen or a painting sometimes just a couple of colors thrown together.
When do ideas come to you? How often?

I am constantly looking for new ideas. Unfortunately I don't write them down right away and forget a lot of them. Just about every day brings a new approach or design.

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

I work on the art at least 8 hours a day with another 10 going to assembly, photography and listing.

Do you create daily?

I do create every day because I go into withdrawal when I don't. I have an empty feeling when I haven't done something with my glass for a day.

How important is it for you to create art?

Creating and working with glass is like breathing. Every piece that I do takes on a life of its own and has its own characteristics. Even if it is just a simple piece it still has to be symmetrical or pass my own personal approval which is pretty stringent.

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

Have you given up certain luxuries?

I have given up quite a few luxuries when I transitioned to the artist life. I came from a management position in corporate America (30 Years) and that regular check afforded my many extras. But the ability to work creatively is so much more gratifying.

Describe your studio.

I have a very large studio with 5 kilns, saws, grinding equipment, sandblasters, torches and assorted smaller equipment. I had a B&M store front studio so I brought the inventory to my home studio and have more glass than some shops have. It is very well equipped mainly because I have always felt that the right tools make work and creating so much easier. It's chaotic though. While I can easily find things when I want them there is glass everywhere and it's not very neat.I am not a very patient person and like things done now. That can be quite frustrating when trying to develop a new design. With glass you don't have a lot of control beyond the layout. No matter how careful you've been once you put it into the kiln it's out of your hands and loosing this control gives me many anxiety ridden moments.

Tell me something about you:

I love to cook and that's good because I have a lot more control over that. My high energy level drives me and I am constantly trying to improve. When I get favorable responses from my clients it makes it so worthwhile and makes me feel like I am really bringing some beauty into this world.