Ardie Andrew, Art and artists have always captivated me. Throughout my life I've experimented with several forms of artistic expression, including painting, drawing and sculpting. In 1990 a class at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon turned me on to Gyotaku, the Japanese art of fish printing. My husband and I did a lot of fishing at that time and we had plenty of subject material for me to work with. I studied under Heather Fortner, a well-known Gyotaku artist from Bend, Oregon and Mineo Yamamoto, a master Gyotaku artist from Japan who taught me how to create intricate detail in the prints using the indirect printing technique. I am a lifetime member of the Nature Printing Society. Since retiring from my job in a high-tech company in 1999 I have sought new forms of artistic expression. A brief exploration into stained glass work led to an intense interest in the exciting world of art glass, particularly in the form of warm glass, or kiln-formed glass. After taking an introductory course in the basics of fusing and slumping glass, I purchased a glass kiln and set up my own studio. Kiln-formed glass is a general term used to describe glass that has been fused and shaped in a heated kiln. Selected pieces of colorful art glass are cut to shape, layered, and fused together in a kiln at a temperature of approximately 1480 degrees Fahrenheit. For some pieces, a second firing to a temperature of 1250 degrees makes the glass drop (slump) into a specially prepared mold. While glass generally has predictable properties when heated, different formulations of glass can produce exciting and unexpected results. Opening the kiln for the first look is always a thrill. I produce functional and artistic pieces, including jewelry. In my pieces I strive to use the interplay of light on the bright colors and the glossy shine of kiln-formed glass to produce work that is light and playful.