Carol Martin

"The glass I make definitely has a gemstone quality as well as an organic quality to it. People are drawn to its tactile nature and constantly mistake the glass for stones! I love being able to create such unique pieces."

Sculpting glass jewelry using the pate de verre and kiln-casting techniques is labor-intensive and rare in jewelry design. Carol Martin feels that the unique shapes and wonderful colors are worth the effort. Color and light in nature and the symbolism of gemstones and geometrical shapes are all inspiration for Martin's unconventional designs.

Each piece is sculpted in clay or wax, and a onetime mold is made. Once the original is eliminated, glass frit is placed into each mold, then kiln fired until the glass flows. After cooling, the glass is ground to the final shape, then finished with a glaze firing or hand polished using lapidary tools. Martin completes each piece with forged and fabricated precious metals to enhance the glass.

"Making things is as natural as breathing to me. I grew up in a family of artisans and have always worked with my hands," Martin explains. She has a BA from Colorado College with an emphasis in sculpture. She studied cast glass with California artist Dan Fenton and metalsmithing with Marilynn Nicholson of Taos, NM. After these initial classes, she has been mainly self taught.