Spotlight on
Tanya Layton
I live in Fort Walton Beach on the lovely Emerald Coast of Florida. I grew up in a small town in South Louisiana about an hour outside of New Orleans, called Bayou Blue. I have no formal art training, but I have a background in music and dance. I play violin, do Middle Eastern dance, and was a radio announcer. I have a B.S, in Communications with a minor in English and Film. I have worked for the State of Florida since I was 22.
A friend of mine is an ER nurse and lampworker, she invited me to her house for the weekend and gave me an impromptu class. She told me about Beads of Courage, and I was immediately hooked.
I started figuring out how to build my own studio right then. Since then, one of the things I am most proud of is being added to the Beads of Courage Hall of Fame. Some of my work was also published in the Soda Lime Times.
I started out with some gifted Effetre 104 glass. I have branched out to CIM and Double Helix glass but have stayed with 104 because it makes sense for my current studio setup. I have exclusively used 104 so far In my journey. I am using a Nortel Major Minor and a Glass Hive kiln.
I live near a gorgeous Florida Gulf Coast beach, so I tend to enjoy ocean themed beads including sand dollars, waves, mermaid tails and seascapes. I am still exploring my personal glass style. Lately I have been adding in more intricate stringer work and sculpted pieces. My work is still evolving.
My best advice to new lampworkers is to work on foundation skills like heat control, good shapes and clean bead holes early on. Don’t try to get fancy until you have the basics down, you will waste less glass. Do invest in a good rotary tool for cleaning beads. You will spend much of your time in glasswork cleaning. Invest in classes, they are worth it.
I have taken a leadership role with the Glass Dragons as Director of Membership in the past, and I am currently serving as the Beads of Courage Committee Chair. I am a member of the ISGB, the Virginia Firebirds, and the ASGB in addition to the Glass Dragons.
My husband is also an artist, he does woodturning and makes wire-wrapped and chainmail jewelry. We collaborate whenever possible. Most of the time we sell our art at live shows. I also have some pieces in Flying Smiles Kites on the North Carolina outer banks, a shop in Fort Walton Beach called Stone Soup, and do sales through my website, Laytonmade.com
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