Fiber, Beads, Clay, Paper & Glass Art
As far back as I can remember, I’ve been up to my elbows in one kind of artistic exploration or another. While much of my energy during the last 25 years has been devoted to developing my professional skills and growing my business, the need to indulge this part of my life has never quite let up. During this time were the old standbys—knitting, needle arts, paper crafts, even some stained glass—as often as I could get to them.
This latest creative binge started in the early spring of 1997 when I took my first spinning class—as in spinning wheels, not bicycles (yeah, right!). I have a tendency to get hooked pretty quickly on anything having to do with fibers or fabrics and this was no exception. As with any addiction, the spinning led to a weaving class up in Taos and somehow that led to my first bead class in May of 1998.
Six months later, I had a few dozen necklaces and my first retail and wholesale orders—from people who simply noticed and liked a piece I was wearing. Neat, huh? To make things official, I started up Father Sky Studios and have been committed to making these various interests a regular part of my life, as a way to maintain the kind of balance I just can’t manage when all of my energies are fulfilling the demands of writing, speaking, traveling and running a business.
I have decided that I’ve got a bit of ADD when it comes to crafting. A few years ago, a dear friend, Kathy Ledesma (who goes back with me to freshman year at Pitt), had me making my own glass beads. If I had a lot more time and money (and a better homeowner’s policy), I could see myself going in this direction
Yes, I’m going in a zillion directions here. Blame it on an insatiable curiosity and delight in a variety of media, or maybe it’s just a short attention span. Either way, I’ve decided to share this part of my life for a few reasons.
Since I’ve been getting orders and requests to see samples, I decided to devote a portion of my web site to my crafts work. I’m in the process of refining the images I have—another "craft" I’m working to develop! In the meantime, feel free to browse these sectione of the site, which are part vanity pages, part catalogue. Perhaps this section will also inspire you to get your hands into something new, or something you haven’t played with for a while. It’s been good for my soul. I wish the same for you.
I’ve divided this part of my site into 4 sections (so far...) You can access them via the buttons on the left.
NOTE: Father Sky Studios is officially a part of Instructional Support Services, Inc. which was more a matter of paperwork than conceptual logic. If you call the number above, you’ll reach us (or our answering service) at Instructional Support Services. Father Sky Studios is an in-home venture. I work with prospective clients by appointment, and now via the Internet. Please call or email if you have any questions.
