Growing up, my father had a auto body shop and I used to love watching him bending, shaping and welding the metal to repair the cars. It was fascinating and I begged him to teach me. His answer was always “No, girls don’t do that sort of stuff.” So, of course... when I grew up... I had to learn! And so I did...

During the string of hurricanes that hit Florida in 2004 and 2005, we lost the back half of our house. After living for almost two months with no electric and waiting eight months for a roof, tensions were running pretty high. One day I picked up a pile of old copper pipe and some glass bottles and started messing around to see what I could do with them. Breaking glass and melting metal proved to be a great stress reliever!

The more I experimented with the copper and the glass, the more things I found I could do with the two of them. The first thing I made, that actually looked like something, was a very large butterfly made from beach glass and recycled copper. Everyone loved it and I was hooked. From then on I began making large scale butterflies, dragonflies and lots of insects. Insects have always looked sort of “mechanical” to me anyway, so they were perfect to be interpreted in metal.

Over the years I’ve dabbled in just about every art form known to man. I worked for many years as a Fine Art Photographer. Although, I am predominately self-taught, I have taken many courses in sculpting, welding, stained glass and art in general. All of my formal training has been in photography, painting and design.

I’ve been doing Art Festivals, forever it seems like. I love to see the smiles on peoples faces when they first encounter my work. I do many art festivals each year throughout the eastern United States such as Artigras in Florida, Atlanta Dogwood Festival, and Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art Festival. I’ve probably met many of you along the way. I also exhibit at Garden Shows, do private commissions and Public Art, and have won numerous awards for my sculptures and photography.

Inspiration comes from everywhere. I love the challenge of combining the copper and the glass. The warm subtle glow of the copper and the colorful sparkle of the glass beg to be transformed into something wonderful.

The Process

Each Sculpture is made one at a time, by hand, in my home studio.

They are made with Stained Glass like that used in windows and doors and from Copper like the water pipes, electrical wiring and AC coils in your home. Since they are made from real copper they will not rust and deteriorate as many less expensive pieces.

The process begins with an idea and a drawing which I enlarge to the size I want to work with. Then various sizes of copper pipe, copper sheet, and copper tubing are cut, bent and shaped to form the main body. The copper body and all supports are welded together to form a frame. The frame then spends a day or two in an acid bath for cleaning.

Then the Stained Glass is added. I begin with full sheets of Stained Glass, which are broken into small pieces, foiled, and soldered. I assemble these small pieces together like a mosaic jigsaw puzzle, using varying colors to give shape, depth, and dimension to the pieces. The glass pieces are always symmetrical. In the wings, for example, if there is a square piece of glass in one wing, there will be a square piece of glass in the same spot on the other wing. For this reason no two sculptures will ever be the same, even when the same colors of glass are used.

When I’m happy with the design of the glass and the embellishments, the glass is soldered together. Then all of the parts and pieces are soldered into the copper frame. Occasionally, a piece of the glass may crack, as some glass is more sensitive to heat and temperature change than most. Don’t worry, the glass is completely secure and totally encased by the solder, and will not fall out or be a problem, but instead, adds one more sparkling detail.

The final step is to thoroughly clean the entire piece to remove all chemicals and to bring the copper back to a bright shine. Then the sculpture is sealed with an oil based exterior coating that protects it from the elements and prevents oxidation (turning green). The sculptures are completely submerged in the coating to ensure total coverage of every nook and cranny and then allowed to dry for three to four days.

I’m often asked if my sculptures will be all right in northern climates. Because they are made from copper and stained glass, both items commonly used in the home, you should have no problem in colder climates. We have sold to folks from the Midwest to the South of France and I have never received any information about the weather bothering the pieces. However, as with anything valuable, it would be wise to bring the piece inside during any severe storms or weather conditions.

With a little care these sculptures should last for years.