Stained Glass Pastel Heart Sun Catcher for Valentines Gift

Hey, there! My name is Anna and I am a 3rd generation Glass Artist in South Louisiana. I'm also a single mom of 3, and work with glass full-time to support us.

To be honest, this all started out as a love-hate relationship. I spent my teenaged summers working in my dads glass studio under the patient care of his studio manager. As you would imagine, scoring glass, and handling glass in general, comes with a learning curve. I wasn't good at it when I started. It didn't help that I was a teen and would rather be doing anything other than working... for my dad. But Dads studio was sought after across the state of Louisiana for both new modern windows and the restoration of old windows. He insisted that I work there--I needed a job and he needed the help. Working with the studio manager, I gained extensive knowledge and experience in two notable forms of glass including faceted glass and leaded glass, both commonly found in churches.

After high school, I moved away for college, excited to break free... but at the ripe age of 19, I had successfully wasted 2 years and lots of money in college. With no other alternatives and a poor GPA, I found myself begging my dad for a job, for one more chance. He reluctantly hired me. This time, I flourished! I fell head-over-heels in love with working with my hands, with glass. I recognized a need for creative fulfillment deep in my soul and glasswork got me there. Most art mediums make me happy, and I've dabbled in a lot, but glass seems to be the most satisfying. 

When my dad retired, he was kind enough to gift me his remaining materials and a mobile studio. I opened an Etsy Shop in 2014 but didn't put any real effort into it until 2018. In that gap, I taught myself the Tiffany method of stained glass, also known as the copper foil method, and challenged myself with 3D work. My 3D plants have become extremely popular and have really put me on the glass artist map. I also began dabbling with alcohol inks on glass. I pull a lot of my art inspiration from Mother Nature, and the organic, fluid movement of the inks on the glass has brought my soul so much satisfaction and peace. 

After a viral TikTok video in early 2021, I got shoutouts from both Etsy and HGTV Handmade. I am beyond flattered to be recognized by such big players.

At the end of 2021, an Art Buyer with the well-known website Uncommon Goods reached out to me about creating an exclusive art line for them using my ink-on-glass techniques.  Mind-blowing! She was also kind enough to forward my contact information to their Home Decor department, who quickly picked up some of my 3D glass plants. My work with them went live in early 2022. 

I'm beyond flattered to be on this adventure, and even more flattered that you are here supporting me!

I'm constantly researching new tools and techniques, sketching, and attempting new designs in an effort to keep Stained Glass modern and beautiful in our ever-changing world, so check in every now and then. And I'd LOVE to hear from you!