STAINED GLASS BY KALEIGH
stained glass suncatchers with 90-100% recycled or found materials
Meet The Maker
WHO ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU FROM, & WHAT DO YOU DO?
Hi, all! I’m Kaleigh. I was born and raised in Maryland but, as an Army vet, I’ve lived all over the country. I recently transplanted to Grovetown, GA from Boulder, CO in May 2023. By day, I work full time as a Marriage and Family Therapist. By night, along with all of my other crafty hobbies, I make stained glass pieces out of my home office/garage. I’ve been working with glass for about a year.
DESCRIBE YOUR PROCESS.
I believe myself to be pretty eco-conscious and I make every effort to ensure all of the crafting I do, not just glass, is done in conscious way. Because glass is made from sand and sand is not a renewable resource, I don’t purchase newly manufactured glass in order to lessen my environmental impact in the arts and craft world. This means that all of my pieces are made with 100% recycled/reused/discarded glass, and 90-100% recycled, reused, or found materials. This also means that every piece is 100% unique and, when I run out and can’t find anymore recycled glass, I can’t make anything else!
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Color. I love to wear neutrals or all black, but my home and the art that I gravitate to is full of color. The vibrance of colorful glass is really what gravitates me to work with this material.
FUN FACT ABOUT YOU.
I was a beekeeper when I lived in Colorado!
FAVORITE THING ABOUT DOWNTOWN AUGUSTA.
Nightlife, appreciation of arts & culture.
WHY DO YOU LOVE TO DESIGN, CREATE + MAKE?
I am a finished product type of person. With the majority of my life and work, I have to trust the process and follow through with things not knowing what the end state will be, or if there will even be an end/resolution. With making, I get to define what “done” means and looks like, and that’s incredibly satisfying.
WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE YOU WOULD SHARE WITH OTHER ARTISTS + MAKERS?
Don’t worry about starting over. I’ve ripped apart projects that were almost finished because I wasn’t happy with how they were turning out. Very rarely does pushing through, settling, or “grinning and bearing it” produce fruitful results.