Hi, I’m a glass artist, engineer, storyteller, and steampunk mini-terrain builder.
My journey began in 1979 in Bozeman, Montana, as an electroplater in the printed circuit board industry. I was working in a lab when my boss walked in and asked a question that changed my life:
“How would you like to go to college and major in Chemical Engineering?”
That one moment sparked a lifelong fusion of science and art.
Through Summit Engineering’s “Baby Engineers” program, I studied Chemical Engineering at Montana State University. From there, life moved fast.
In the 80s, I married a Mechanical Engineer, had a son, and moved to Seattle. I continued my education in computer science, statistical analysis, and the fine arts, balancing the analytical and creative aspects.
I worked as a high-tech avionics process engineer and quality assurance manager for years. But when life shifted in 1997, and I returned to Montana to raise my son closer to family. I explored electrical engineering, lasers, optics, and web design during my time there. I even beta-tested for Adobe (and still love their tools).
Then came the spark that changed everything again.
In 2002, I met Bill Grout, a glassblower living on a small farm in the Bitterroot Valley. I fell in love with him, the art of blowing glass, and the valley’s magic. I left the corporate world a year later and began a new chapter as a full-time artist.
Today, Bill and I create glass art infused with metalwork, dragon-inspired designs, and a splash of Steampunk flair. Our creativity doesn’t stop there. Our small farm features a thriving orchard, garden, greenhouse, Steampunk shop, torchworking studio, Bill’s Man Cave (with its electronics wing), and Brewhouse.
In 2016, I published my first illustrated book, Sea Beavers & Rattle Slugs, a whimsical, heartfelt collection inspired by my son and our adventures. It was just the beginning. My series, The Punk Shop Dragon, celebrates life’s strange, silly, and soulful stories through artwork, poetry, and humor.
Every experience, from laser work to glassblowing and engineering to storytelling, has been a unique and enriching journey that has brought me to where I am today.
And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
