We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Denise Brislin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Denise below.

Denise, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

While we were living in Merritt Island, FL I earned a promotion that required us to relocate to Tallahassee. It was a difficult and conflicting decision to make but my wonderful husband stayed in Merritt Island to sell our home and continue working while I moved ahead to Tallahassee. It was the first time we’d been apart in over 15 years. Needless to say, it was not easy and I began to seriously question our decision.

A new co-worker introduced me to an incredible women named Agnus who became my mentor and close friend. She was a life-saver and a master stained glass artist! It seemed the universe resolved all my needs at once. She lit a creative perspective in me I never knew I had. I fell in love with glass,,,all glass; its sparkle, reflections, endless colors and the games it plays with different light and the sun. But best of all is the concept that you can never create a displeasing piece of glass art, it always looks fabulous and brings joy to all who see it! I cherished my classes with Agnus, she encouraged me to try new and more difficult pieces and designs. How to complement colors or go completely bold with something totally unexpected. Creating with glass does require certain skills but with some practice, patience and a tiny bit of confidence, anyone can achieve fantastic pieces.

As I mentioned, learning this art form became a saving grace for me, After dabbling in other art and crafts, I had found my passion. I was determined to make stained glass a large part of my life. When my husband Kevin was finally able to join me in Tallahassee we begin our new life by renting a very small home and we dedicated a large closet as “my space”. Thus it began, I wanted to find ways to learn more. Remember this was over 30 years ago, The internet was dial up and YouTube was not invented yet!! So the library became my friend. I used the newspaper to look for and buy used equipment and scraps of glass. I soon outgrew my closet as boxes began to appear in other spaces in our home. My little card table was full of little sun catchers which became special gifts for family and friends. About a year went by and word got out,,,,I had my first commission piece! I needed more space, so my car was sacrificed to the elements so I had garage space, what a thrill it was. Bigger space meant a bigger table for bigger pieces, plywood and cement blocks,,,painted purple of course. It was slow, I gave away more pieces than I sold, or sold at a loss. But I used commission monies to buy new equipment, tools, and more glass, glass, glass.

We stayed in Tallahassee for five years then jobs moved us to North Port FL. We loved it there, bought a home and set down some permanent roots. I was in heaven….Again our garage became my workshop, a two car garage filling with beautiful glass and now two tables of plywood and cement blocks painted purple, blue and teal. We were in a rural neighborhood and when the weather was nice I often worked with the garage door open. Neighbors began noticing my workshop. Curiousty is a wonderful emotion, some became friends some became students and some became clients. Happy people talk and my reputation began to grow, it was time for business cards. I am a commodity.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

For me, creating became my soul’s food. It keeps me sane and my husband alive….(inside joke). I was not the least bit creative as a child. In fact I remember an “unkind” teacher’s comments concerning a rice painting I created in 4th grade. Her comment occasionally lingers in the back of my mind when I’m truely stumped. Graciously, it is quickly resolved into inspiration to never stop learning and never give up. My husband Kevin inspired me to believe this. For over 47 years, he has supported and encouraged each and every idea I’ve had trying to be creative and self-fulled. And I can attest that some of them were doozies! I call it life long learning.

A huge part of learning is knowing when it’s time to try something new, the key is to keep trying. You are not “giving up” if you walk away from something that does not fill your heart and soul if you are walking towards something that does. I’ve been a educator for most of my life through raising siblings, motherhood, nursing, teaching high school and as a stained glass teacher. I’ve tried to persuade my students to become life long learners, try something new, explore. Believe that if something doesn’t work, maybe something different will. Creativity is a type of problem solving. Which is why it’s essential for the arts to be taught in schools. We problem-solve a million times during our day. Be brave, find ways to be creative in whatever you do.

I fear as many artists do that this phenomenal art form and other art forms are disappearing. In general, the economy, schools and businesses do not support the arts. Industries manfacture all forms of “art” by the truckloads and flood the market with machine-made cheap products that the masses can afford. Art needs a revival, it needs new life, a younger life. My contribution towards this effort is to teach. I’ll teach anyone who is interested or just curious to learn. My fees are reasonable, some say too reasonable. Students use my equipment and supplies and they leave with a fabulous finished piece! I know they’ll be talking about their piece and hopefully they are excited enough to return or tell a friend. In this way, I would like to believe I have made an effort to encourage others to be lifelong learners also, especially towards stained glass art.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I love that light bulb and smiles! You know the one when someone finally gets it. No matter what that is, when that light goes off it illuminates their soul and they smile. My nursing career began in pediatrics, teaching children to be self care managers for adulthood. Later I transfered into a RN position at a high school clinic, again teaching teens to be self-reliant. That light bulb became a lighthouse. I was already teaching stained glass in my garage, teaching in our clinic, but I still wanted more. So I became a full time teacher at the high school. I didn’t stray too far from my career, I started teaching medical sciences, 9th through 12 grade. I was living as a life long learner, craving that light bulb in myself and in others.

I’m now retired and have moved to TN. I still enjoy that light bulb and those smiles, I’ve found another mentor, Barbara who teaches stained glass. We have seen many light bulbs over the past few years. I’ve also started teaching stained glass at our local art gallery in Cowan and in Tullahoma. It thrills me to no end to see a student press their lips in serious concentration and then grin like a fox at the most beautiful piece of stained glass they created. Recently I had one student who swore her solder lines were only perfect if she stuck her tongue out while soldering. I feel that same illumination when I complete any piece of stained glass. That feeling of success and fulfillment when I give someone a piece of stained glass, their look of wonder and joy. Illumination and smiles are contagious and for me I spread them around through stained glass art.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I don’t really have a mission or goal. I do have a desire for art to be enjoyed by the masses and people to have the means and ability to create art, in any form. As I’ve said, the biggest barrier to accomplishing this utopia is cost. Our society is fast becoming the haves and have nots. As an independent artist or any entrepreneur, you need funding to cover your costs to produce so you can produce more. Unless you’re independently wealthy, eventually, you’ll need to make a profit to keep up with rising costs and the costs of living. It becomes a brutal cycle. Artist, like other groups, are about 10% global masters, selling their art at outrageous prices, a few are making a wonderful living selling their art and then there’s the majority of artists like me who love glass, love to create with glass and love to make people smile with glass.

Many stained glass artists, including me, sell their creations online, through art galleries, social media, local shops, etc. I can say in all honesty that the prices are scattered all over scale. Some underpriced, some overpriced. Both ends of the spectrum can be good and bad for art. We need to find the magic medium. Not too high to price yourself out of the market and not too low to undercut your fellow artists. We need to support each other, not compete. And we do support each other. I belong to several community groups via media, galleries and community groups who consistently share ideas, information, guidance and supplies with each other.

I would venture to say most artists create to create, it makes us feel whole, happy and fulfilled. We sell to support our habit, to buy more supplies. The majority of us know we are not going to get rich or even make a fantastic living doing what we’re doing. It would be exhilarating but not probable. But we find ways to keep doing it. If I could buy supplies without consequences, I’d give all my creations away, I wouldn’t need to sell anything. But reality is reality, it is what it is.

So where to from here? Life long learning strikes again. I’m venturing into “fusing glass”. Learning something new so I can teach it to others. Who knows how many curious people have been waiting for someone to teach them this exciting glass art form? I’m so excited about this new adventure, I wake up with new ideas and plans. I’ve also decided to offer stained glass classes at my glass studio on Keith Springs Mountain. It took me awhile to prepare but I’m needing some illumination. Classes will start this summer after I warm up in Florida for a few weeks. Follow me on FB or text me for details, I’d love see you and your light bulb….

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Denise Brislin
• Other: Etsy TranquilityGlassNow

Image Credits
These are a few of the various pieces I have created. I have experience with all shapes and sizes of stained pieces from small sun catchers to large panels.