Meet Leigh of Flowingglass
You can visit her shop here:
How many years have you been an artist?
I don't know that I consider myself an "artist", but I've always had a yen for the aesthetic. When I was young, I thought I would grow up to be a writer. Words on paper are my friends in ways that words out loud either in front of or in exchange with other people will never be. (Who knows, maybe someday I will write a successfully published book!) But for now, I'm drawn to many things creative. I like to quilt, particularly picking the pattern and the fabrics; I love making photos of outdoor scenery with our digital camera; I enjoy beading and making jewelry and am just learning a bit about wireworking; "doing glass" in my little made-over studio has been a wonderful journey so far, too, and it's fun to think about where it will eventually go...but an "artist"? I don't know.
How many years have you worked with glass?
I took my first glass bead-making class almost two years ago in May. It's something I'd wanted to do for a long time and finally came across a class within a reasonable driving distance. Bead-making led to a class in fusing the following fall and I've been primarily doing that ever since.
What triggers ideas for new projects?
It's hard to define where ideas come from. Sometimes it's a question someone asks...like "can you do this?", sometimes it's an article in a magazine, sometimes it's something you see somewhere that gets you thinking "I wonder if I could make something like that in glass?", sometimes it pops into your head out of nowhere when you're asleep or doing something totally unrelated or when you're staring at all the bits and pieces of glass lying on the work area. The trick for me is keeping the idea in my head until I have the chance to try it out!
When do ideas come to you? How often?
I get ideas at all different times, really. It's unpredictable. Often many many days will go by when I don't have time to work on or even think about glass (or anything else creative) and then, suddenly, I'll have a little mental down time and the ideas will just come. I try not to analyze it too much or get too worried when there's a lull. Things have a way of working themselves out in the end.
When do ideas come to you? How often?
Since I have to work full-time outside of my home studio, I don't work on glass every day. I'd like to, of course, but during the school year (I work in a public school), most of my studio time has to be on the weekends.
When do ideas come to you? How often?
Well, as I explained above, I don't have the time and opportunity to actually create something every day...but I believe the subconscious mind is always working, even when you're physically doing something else. I like to think it's what triggers those "eurekas!" in the middle of the night. :-)
When do ideas come to you? How often?
Having the opportunity to get into the studio and set the outside world aside for a while is really a sanity-saver for me. My day-job work environment can be very stressful and mentally demanding. Working in the studio is like walking through a "stargate" into a separate reality--one where those aspects of yourself that you aren't able to bring out in the minute-to-minute interactions of daily life are able to be expressed. It reminds me that there is more to life than my day job, something that it's easy to lose sight of during a really bad week.
Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?
Have you given up certain luxuries?
I don't know that I can say I've officially chosen the "artist's" life, since I do have to work full time at another job. I can say that there are certainly a lot of things I choose not to buy because I'd rather spend my available dollars on glass or other glass/jewelry-related items. In that regard, I can honestly state that I've given up some things in favor of others, but so far I don't really see it as making a sacrifice.
Describe your studio:
My studio is located in our basement, in what used to be my daughter's bedroom. It wasn't a large bedroom, so it isn't a large studio, either. (It would be great if it worked like the tents in the Harry Potter series, where it looked small on the outside but was as big as you needed it on the inside!) My husband built some terrific, sturdy counters and lots and lots of shelves for me, all of which are stacked with glass and jewelry supplies and components. Once in a while, when I have a craft show coming up, I drag a lot of it upstairs and spread it out all over the kitchen, dining room, and living room to take advantage of a bunch of south-facing windows and an abundance of sunlight. (I don't like clutter, even my own, so this never lasts long.) A bigger space would definitely be one of the first things on my "wish list."
Tell me something about you:
About me...I grew up in rural northeren Minnesota, one of a family of six children. I met my husband at the tender age of 14 and we've been together ever since---we'll celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary this spring. We have three children, all grown and managing their own families within an hour's drive of where we live. As I mentioned above, I work full-time in a public school as a school librarian. One of our district librarian's retired three years ago and was not replaced, so I now run both a K-8 library and a 9-12 library...traveling to alternate buildings on alternate days and teaching elementary resource time on top of it. It's an exhausting schedule that begins at the end of August and ends in early June, often leaving me little energy for anything else at all. My goal is to one day open a combination studio/gallery/shop for glass and other art that will enable me to leave my day job behind and dictate my own schedule. I have no illusions that it will be any less work, but satisfying work? Definitely!
I don't know that I consider myself an "artist", but I've always had a yen for the aesthetic. When I was young, I thought I would grow up to be a writer. Words on paper are my friends in ways that words out loud either in front of or in exchange with other people will never be. (Who knows, maybe someday I will write a successfully published book!) But for now, I'm drawn to many things creative. I like to quilt, particularly picking the pattern and the fabrics; I love making photos of outdoor scenery with our digital camera; I enjoy beading and making jewelry and am just learning a bit about wireworking; "doing glass" in my little made-over studio has been a wonderful journey so far, too, and it's fun to think about where it will eventually go...but an "artist"? I don't know.
How many years have you worked with glass?
I took my first glass bead-making class almost two years ago in May. It's something I'd wanted to do for a long time and finally came across a class within a reasonable driving distance. Bead-making led to a class in fusing the following fall and I've been primarily doing that ever since.
What triggers ideas for new projects?
It's hard to define where ideas come from. Sometimes it's a question someone asks...like "can you do this?", sometimes it's an article in a magazine, sometimes it's something you see somewhere that gets you thinking "I wonder if I could make something like that in glass?", sometimes it pops into your head out of nowhere when you're asleep or doing something totally unrelated or when you're staring at all the bits and pieces of glass lying on the work area. The trick for me is keeping the idea in my head until I have the chance to try it out!
When do ideas come to you? How often?
I get ideas at all different times, really. It's unpredictable. Often many many days will go by when I don't have time to work on or even think about glass (or anything else creative) and then, suddenly, I'll have a little mental down time and the ideas will just come. I try not to analyze it too much or get too worried when there's a lull. Things have a way of working themselves out in the end.
When do ideas come to you? How often?
Since I have to work full-time outside of my home studio, I don't work on glass every day. I'd like to, of course, but during the school year (I work in a public school), most of my studio time has to be on the weekends.
When do ideas come to you? How often?
Well, as I explained above, I don't have the time and opportunity to actually create something every day...but I believe the subconscious mind is always working, even when you're physically doing something else. I like to think it's what triggers those "eurekas!" in the middle of the night. :-)
When do ideas come to you? How often?
Having the opportunity to get into the studio and set the outside world aside for a while is really a sanity-saver for me. My day-job work environment can be very stressful and mentally demanding. Working in the studio is like walking through a "stargate" into a separate reality--one where those aspects of yourself that you aren't able to bring out in the minute-to-minute interactions of daily life are able to be expressed. It reminds me that there is more to life than my day job, something that it's easy to lose sight of during a really bad week.
Do you feel that choosing the artist’s life has been a sacrifice?
Have you given up certain luxuries?
I don't know that I can say I've officially chosen the "artist's" life, since I do have to work full time at another job. I can say that there are certainly a lot of things I choose not to buy because I'd rather spend my available dollars on glass or other glass/jewelry-related items. In that regard, I can honestly state that I've given up some things in favor of others, but so far I don't really see it as making a sacrifice.
Describe your studio:
My studio is located in our basement, in what used to be my daughter's bedroom. It wasn't a large bedroom, so it isn't a large studio, either. (It would be great if it worked like the tents in the Harry Potter series, where it looked small on the outside but was as big as you needed it on the inside!) My husband built some terrific, sturdy counters and lots and lots of shelves for me, all of which are stacked with glass and jewelry supplies and components. Once in a while, when I have a craft show coming up, I drag a lot of it upstairs and spread it out all over the kitchen, dining room, and living room to take advantage of a bunch of south-facing windows and an abundance of sunlight. (I don't like clutter, even my own, so this never lasts long.) A bigger space would definitely be one of the first things on my "wish list."
Tell me something about you:
About me...I grew up in rural northeren Minnesota, one of a family of six children. I met my husband at the tender age of 14 and we've been together ever since---we'll celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary this spring. We have three children, all grown and managing their own families within an hour's drive of where we live. As I mentioned above, I work full-time in a public school as a school librarian. One of our district librarian's retired three years ago and was not replaced, so I now run both a K-8 library and a 9-12 library...traveling to alternate buildings on alternate days and teaching elementary resource time on top of it. It's an exhausting schedule that begins at the end of August and ends in early June, often leaving me little energy for anything else at all. My goal is to one day open a combination studio/gallery/shop for glass and other art that will enable me to leave my day job behind and dictate my own schedule. I have no illusions that it will be any less work, but satisfying work? Definitely!
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