Meet the Artist
Hi, I’m Katie.
And, this is Leigh (they/them), my spouse. We live in Hampden, Maine with our dog, cat, and our beloved chickens.
I am the lead artist at Tree Glass Studios and they are the thought partner and festival partner and all around supporter of my work.
We LOVE to travel, hike and preserve the environment.
Our time in nature inspires my work .
I started in social justice.
My nonprofit and activist career began 25 years ago. While I earned my Master’s in Community Psychology and Social Change, I worked in organizations that focused on helping others: domestic violence shelters, racial justice organizations, queer rights advocacy groups, environmental justice and forest preservation.
On the side, I was an adjunct professor in Women and Gender Studies and was active in both antinuclear initiatives and farmworker rights.
I was born to make the world a better place.
My dad taught me glass art.
My dad is a glass artist who taught me the Tiffany method of stained glass as well as the centuries’ old technique of leading and cementing glass windows.
I grew up on a remote farm in Kansas, where my dad had a makeshift glass studio in our farmhouse basement. All growing up, I would watch him make his creations for family and friends while sitting by the old woodstove.
The name “tree glass”
came to me as I was driving one winter morning. I rounded a bend in the road full of pine trees that were covered with ice from the overnight sleet. The sun shone on the branches, lighting the needles into millions of crystals, creating a glass effect.
And just like that, Tree Glass Studios was born.
My art comes from our earth.
I hand draw most of my patterns (with the exception of the patterns I buy from other artists) from my walks in the Maine woods and my global travels.
Once drawn, I spend a lot of time choosing glass. This part can get tricky so I’m developing a FREE download for you to see how I put it all together.
Costa Rica
Monteverde Reserve in the cloud rainforest of Costa Rica inspired my series on tropical plant life.
Maine
Hikes to the Tidal Falls Preserve and other natural wonders of Maine inspired my King Pine homewares series.
