"When winter comes, worn and faded leaves lay captured in ice" - Shãr

The Inspiration: There are Silver Maple and Sugar Maple trees behind our house. One cold morning, fallen maple leaves were frozen into a disc of a diamond clear ice that floated in the bird bath. When I picked up the ice, an idea was born.

The Glass: The leaf designs are individually hand painted, and enclosed in clear fused glass, as the leaves were enclosed in ice. Multiple kiln firings are required to complete the finished plates.

The History: Peoples of the ancient Middle East began working with glass as a material in its own right, about 3500 years ago. At that time glass was rare and precious. Skilled artisans succeeded in making glass that resembled highly valued opaque semi-precious stones like lapis lazuli. The glass was used to make or embellish luxurious goods for the wealthy upper class.

The Inspiration: I have always been facinated by the colours, patterns and brilliance of wet stones as clear water flows in a pebbly stream, or the strand line of a beach. With the "Pebbles in Sand" tableware, I have revisited the ancient art of using glass to portray stone.

The Glass: The colourful "pebbles" are individually made and, as in nature, each one is different. The "sand" is crushed glass. Multiple kilm firings are required to complete the various components and then the plates themselves, and no two plates are exactly alike. The firing process can result in additional textures that resemble the glacial polishing on bedrock.