Katherine Nesci has been sculpting molten glass around steel mandrels since 1993 when she left her career as a Structural Engineer. Initially trained as a silversmith, she found that medium too limiting in many respects.
While visiting Venice, Italy, she became enamored with the art of flame working and simply had to try it. Her first attempts were in black and white and left much to be desired, but she knew that if she practiced (and melted enough glass) she could produce some beautiful pieces.
Below, you can see her very first beads as well as some current ones.
Katherine loves color in all mediums. Her studio is filled with hundreds of custom stringers and racks of American, Japanese, and Italian glass rods. She blends her own glass frit into unique color combinations which she incorporates into her finished work. Her studio is in Tucson, Arizona where she finds inspiration in the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert. She is particularly fond of the local wild flowers seen in spring and early summer.
Each piece is a handcrafted work of art which incorporates years of experience and unique talent. Katherine hopes that you enjoy wearing her pieces as much as she enjoyed creating them.