DeiRdre Schaneman is a degreed musician who felt for years that she was courting someone else’s muse…that is, until September of 2002 when she took a flame-working class to learn how to make glass beads. From the moment she lit the torch and melted her first lopsided bead, she knew her true creative love had finally found her.
“Glass is not a medium for the timid, the reckless, or the impatient. It demands your respect…and if you forget the collaborative nature of your partnership, it will remind you!” says DeiRdre, sighting the many cuts and burns she’s endured over the years while pursuing her muse. “But in those moments when things come together – the colors pop, the shapes form and the dance between flame and molten glass is in perfect harmony — it’s magical.”
DeiRdre seeks inspiration from many different sources, most notably nature. From the shores of Lake Michigan, to the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains, and now in the rolling hills of Missouri, she has been fortunate to live in regions which have provided templates for her whimsical interpretation of the natural world. She re-imagines shapes, colors, landscapes and creatures from nature as part of an ecosystem not of this world and yet strangely familiar. Each unique piece is made up of as many as thirty meticulously placed layers of glass, taking hours of prep work and often hours at the torch to create. She finishes her pieces with hand-wrought sterling silver components so that each piece is truly unique. The result is a piece of wearable art with depth and complexity.
“There is no feeling in the world that compares to seeing someone wearing a piece that I’ve created and knowing that the piece gives its wearer joy and confidence. Accessories are such an integral component in how people present themselves to the world…and it’s a privilege to be able to create art which helps people express who they are,” says DeiRdre of her calling. As an independent artist working out of Third Degree Glass Factory in Saint Louis City, DeiRdre continues to chase her fiery muse while staying true to her mission to create beautiful, unique baubles for beautiful, unique people.
DeiRdre Schaneman 