Glass is my artistic passion. My canvases are my jewellery and home décor items; each is a work of art that I have lovingly created with my own hands.
My love of glass art began as a child. I remember staring in awe at the beautiful stained glass windows that adorned the churches I regularly attended with my family in my native country of Colombia. I asked my mom at the age of 9 if I could learn how to become a glass artist. Being so young, I was told that I would have to start by painting the windows that I loved so much on paper. I moved on to painting on glass in my teens and when I turned 21, I took a few stained glass courses and was finally able to call myself a true glass artist! I was also at this time introduced to various other glass techniques and soon found that I loved working with glass in its many different forms.
I made and sold my work on a small scale. So I decided to go to college for Graphic Design so I could make a living blending my artistic and practical natures. I still managed to make my glass art while going to school and while working at my first professional Graphic Design job, but found that my love of glass was still strong and made me wonder (like all artists do) if it was worth sacrificing my art for a steady pay check?
I thought I would let the judges of Colombia’s biggest Craft and Artisan Fair make that decision for me. I was accepted to the show, and for 12 years I went from working in my childhood bedroom, to a studio of my own where I was lucky enough to employ others as well as myself.
One day I was alone in my studio and I clearly remember having the thought that I would gladly give all that I had built up for someone to share my life with.
Time went on, and I met a wonderful man who was everything I ever wanted. However there was one problem, he lived in Canada. So I had yet another decision to make. Stay in my warm, familiar country of Colombia where I was making a good living doing something that truly loved, or start again in a cold climate, learning a new language and starting my business all over again but with someone that I truly loved?
Then I remembered the promise I had made myself many months before…
Now I live in Toronto, Canada with a wonderful husband and I am finally able to have the best of both worlds…Love & Art!
