♥ ABOUT THE FINISHED PIECES
All of my pieces are meticulously hand painted to order with a high level of attention to detail. Painted glassware is heat treated for durability, and should be gently hand washed only with non-abrasive cleaners to keep each piece looking new. Please don't soak or microwave the glass. Each piece or set comes with a tag, care card and thank you card. I'm happy to send a hand written gift card.

♥ WHY MY WORK IS DIFFERENT
I believe my specialties as an award winning designer / photo-realist painter show in my work, so when painting glass, ceramics or ukuleles, it's the careful attention to detail that bring my pieces to life. Painting on glass can be tricky, so for me, that involves multiple layers of paint for durability and to help bring out vivid color.

And... I've done the research. I never paint any of my drinking glasses up to the rim because every top enamel paint manufacturer and high end art store warns that lips or food / beverages should NOT touch paint even after being cured and even if they claim to be non-toxic. Do not put your glass in the dishwasher - even on the top shelf. Dishwashers manufactured today are too strong and will harm the paint. How do I know this? I talk to manufacturers regularly to keep my customers safe and happy. My glasses are all painted by hand - not silk-screened, and I use lead-free glass, so my pieces are completely unique and are safe to use.

♥ ABOUT THE ARTIST
My first non-commissioned mural at the age of 3 done purely by crayon was a brilliant success until Mom came home from work and took a look at her bedroom wall. My first solo exhibit singling me out amongst my kindergarten peers involving a ship with smokestacks surrounded by air and sea creatures lead to a fit of hysterics (the teacher only tacked my piece to the wall), in which Mom had to leave work to show up and calm me down. My first art contest win at the age of eight at the San Francisco Zoo was I felt well deserved as I'd put a lot of time and thought into my fairy princess drawing (with floating stars).

After receiving two scholarships for art, I studied fine art & design in Illinois and my home town of San Francisco. I landed my first job as an illustrator and graphic designer at the age of seventeen. My entire career has revolved around fine and commercial art, from running my own graphic design & illustration business to selling commissioned watercolor portraits, animating video games, designing websites and corporate logos... you name it. When I’m not freelancing, cooking, gardening, sewing, watching scary movies with my husband or singing Hawaiian music & playing ukulele with local bands, you’ll find me downstairs painting something in my Montreal studio.

Member: Society of Decorative Painters
Winner of the Decorative painting category (Christmas Ornaments) The Craftys Awards 2016
Featured in Decorative Painters Magazine Vol 4 Time for Lemonade - Dec 2016
Finalist in the Decorative painting category (Cherry Blossom Ukulele) The Craftys Awards 2015
Winner - Mahalo Ukulele Painting Contest 2014

Thank you for stopping by!

Brenda Dee Cook
Lemon Tree Workshop