Danica Thomas

BIO OF A PYRO'
Danica, born in Ashland, OR, moved to Kodiak, AK, in 1976 where she spent most of her childhood. During her high school junior year she lived in Brazil as a foreign exchange student. After graduating from Kodiak High School, she moved to Juneau, AK and spent the next few years working in the summers and traveling throughout Central America in the winters. Danica attended Alaska Pacific Univ. and Univ of Alaska on volleyball scholarships, studied abroad in India for a year and graduated with a BA in Psychology . She started her working career at Covenant House Alaska, counseling teens until she moved to Bend in 2012.
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Since “Dani’s” childhood and throughout her travels, glass beads and marbles always attracted her interest. On one such trip, she witnessed a “lampwork” artist and knew that she had to learn this art. With the help and support of her family, she began melting glass under the stove vent in 1995. Her 3 children and their requests inspired many of her whimsical designs. Dani uses Effetre “Moretti” Italian Glass, considered a soft glass, and a Bethlehem Bravo for a torch. All her creations are kiln fired to anneal them for durability. Each piece is a one of a kind!
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“Balancing family, work, outdoor adventures and creating is like playing with melting glass…Both hands working and you must keep rolling!”
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STUDIED WITH:
Alessandro Boscolo, Murano, Italy
Lucio Bubacco, Murano, Italy
Mauro Vianello, Venice, Italy
Bronwen Heilman Tucson, Arizona
Astrid Riedel, Pretoria, South Africa
Tatyana Boyarinova, Moscow, Russia
Vicki Schneider, Hamburg, New York
Michelle Waldren, Anchorage, Alaska

MEMBERSHIPS OF:
ISGB International Society of Glass Beads
COMAG, Central Oregon Metals Arts Guild
Worlds Biggest Marble Hunt
Dry Canyon Arts Association

Danica Glass
@danicabeads
danicabeads@gmail.com