I have always been drawn to making things. Creativity has never felt like a hobby to me; it has always been a way of understanding the world.
Over twenty years ago, feeling constrained by the routines of everyday life, I set myself a quiet challenge: to learn something new each year. Something tactile, something expressive or something I had long wanted to try but had never made space for. Over time, this led me through many disciplines; willow weaving, Reiki, tarot, gardening, language learning - each adding a layer to how I think, create, and connect.
Everything changed in 2002, leafing through an adult learning brochure from Oxfordshire County Council, I came across an Introduction to Stained Glass course. I booked a place without hesitation. Sitting among sheets of coloured glass, watching sunlight move through them, I felt an immediate and profound sense of recognition. I was completely absorbed and quietly certain I had found something lasting.
From there, I went on to create commissioned stained glass pieces, restore and repair older panels and seek out every opportunity to deepen my skills. Over time, my work travelled further than I ever expected, finding homes as far afield as Thailand and the United States.
One challenge I encountered was the inevitable waste created when working with large glass sheets. Even with careful planning, small offcuts remained - too beautiful to discard. This led me to explore glass fusing. I enrolled in a local course, invested in a small microwave kiln and began transforming those fragments into one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces.
A few years later, while working in a conventional office role, I reached a turning point. Despite the promise of progression, the environment felt increasingly disconnected from the life I wanted to build. One morning, I decided to step away. I left my job, moved counties, and saved for a full-sized kiln so I could create larger fused glass works.
That decision shaped everything that followed. Today, my practice is rooted in the Whispering Hills of West Dorset, working alongside a much-loved kiln named George. Here, I continue to learn new techniques, allowing me to create glass art inspired by light, land and the quiet beauty of place - a future shaped by intention, craft and creativity.