Glass and stones and minerals...what is this, exactly?

It's hard to describe what I make. Is it stained glass? Sort of. Is it rock art? Maybe, not really? Is it the Tiffany method? Heck yes.

Perhaps my history and intention will string it all together.

I am a treasure hunter. That is to say, I can't walk on a beach or along a mountain hike or a riverbed without watching my feet to see what the water or the land will bring me on that day. A piece of sea glass? An agate? A flicker of quartz, a bright red jasper, or something rarer? I can't help myself.

I'm a beachcomber, a rockhound, a modern-day pirate. My shelves are full of bounty - bits and pieces of every beach and hill and river around the world that I've walked, head always down, usually forgetting to taking in the scenery.

But what to do with it all? I'm drawn to the translucence - my eye naturally picks it out in sand or dirt or water. And I wanted to see if I could find a way to draw light through these beautiful objects I've collected over time.

Add to that my self-taught stained glass habit, and you can see where I landed. 

These objects suffer from the two dimensionality of the screen you're on. They are heavy and cool and smooth, and wonderful to hold and see as they capture and transform the light. I'll try to convey that in the imagery I post here.

In the meantime, here's a video which shows a bit of my process - this one shows the evolution of a bowl made entirely of tumbled amethysts. 

How do you make an amethyst bowl? from Noelle Barnes on Vimeo.