Diva of the Month (Part 1): Patrice Shepherd

It is my pleasure to be introducing as Diva of the Month – Patrice Shepherd of Shepherd Creations. I’ve admired Patrice’s work for a long time on her Art Fire Shop so it was great to learn more about her work. I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I have.

Patrice, please tell us where you live and what your studio is like.

"My studio is at my home in Riverside, California. It is my hobby haven :) Although the studio itself is in half my garage, I also have a workspace in my office to clean beads I make and photograph my pieces. I live close to our local foothills, so wildlife and diverse plant species are always close by. Being a nature-lover, it also works out that it's very sunny here, which helps power my studio with a roof-top full of solar panels. Inside the studio lives my creative chaos..."

Now that we adoring fans know where you live and work, if you don’t mind, we’d all like to know where you’re from and the influences that helped form your style.

"I'm originally from the desert, but that just gave me a healthy love of all things green, as they were so scarce. There wasn't much to do where I grew up, so nature played a big part of my childhood. I'd catch lizards (and release them, of course!), watch snakes, collect rocks, and hang around the cactus garden and few salt-cedar trees we had. I always dreamed over gardening catalogs about all the wonderful flowers and plants that can't really be grown in the desert, plus all the animals that can't survive there, and they eventually became one of my favorite things to admire and sculpt. "


How long have you been lampworking? Picasso always had a favorite muse to paint or draw. Is there a favorite bead or theme you love that you could do over and over?

"I've been in love with lampworking for over six years, first getting into the hobby to make beads, as anyone who buys or collects beads knows you can "never have too many beads." My love of nature prompted me to start making animals with my glass art, which turned into my specialty. I plan to continue making glass art goodies for years and years into the future, as I got my husband interested in marble making a few years ago too. :)There is an endless variety of things you can make in glass that it's hard to stick to just a few, but if I had to pick I would say sea creatures. They are some of my favorite things to make, as they can have such a wide variety of colors, frills, shells and fins, as long as you have a little imagination."



Describe your style for us….If you don’t feel you have one, describe how not having one works for you.

"My style is based on my own perspective on life and nature. The animals and other glass art pieces I make can often be described as "cute," as I think adding whimsy to the world is a good thing. Life can be very serious, but I like my glass to have a more lighthearted feel to it. I like making things that would be uplifting or fun to wear, like a seahorse or an octopus that looks straight up at you. It always makes me happy when my glass critters make someone smile; even if it's just at the thought of wearing a colorful octopus on your chest. :) "
Thank You everyone for joining me and getting to know Patrice. I know you want to know more - me too! - so come on back next week and we'll continue to find out more of Patrice's great glass creations. In the mean time you can catch Patrice on her Twitter or her personal blog, Glass by Patrice.