Each slice of wood is unique – it tells the story of the tree’s life with its rings and knots and unique markings. When I look at it, I see another tree inside of the slice, and I bring that to life. I try to include the unique markings and patterns as part of the finished Tree of Life. 

When I first started making Trees of Life, I did not give them a background.  Then I got the idea to use stained glass as the background.  It was a perfect combination!

I have always loved stained glass, especially the infinite variety of colors.  I took one stained glass class and started incorporating it into my work.  After a few years, I had accumulated lots of small pieces of scrap glass.  Not wanting to be wasteful, I bought a glass kiln and taught myself to fuse.  Now I use fused glass elements – trees, leaves, turtles, etc., in my fused glass landscapes.