We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Diana Griffin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Diana, thanks for joining us today. One of the toughest things about progressing in a creative career or as an entrepreneur is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

Well, COVID was a big one for everyone and then trying to get back into the sellers’ market was difficult so I transitioned into teaching. I currently teach at San Diego Oasis (55+ community) at Grossmont Center and Rancho Bernardo. It is incredibly fulfilling for me to instruct on a medium that I love and sharing that with other students. I have quite a few regulars that attend my classes and I enjoy watching them put their glass pieces together, everyone so different, creating their own art pieces.

Diana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

After working 37 years for the Navy as a business financial manager, I found my calling in glass artistry. I have spent the last seven years as the founder and artisan of Queenie Glass and Sass. and now spend my time split between making original works of art and sharing my love of glass artistry with others. I am a current member of the Art Glass Association of Southern California (AGASC), and provide glass education to school age children, adults and volunteers at Good Samaritan retirement home doing simple glass projects. I have juried into the bi-annual patio sale at Spanish Village in Balboa Park, Del Mar Fair Fine Arts exhibition, and have my artwork on display @ the Borrego Art Institute and Fallbrook Arts Exhibition. I currently teach glass fusing classes @ San Diego Oasis in La Mesa and Rancho Bernardo. www.Queenieglassandsass.com Instagram @glasswithqueenie. I started my glass adventure doing stained glass, but due to a moderate stroke have transitioned more into kiln fused glass. This is the process where you melt compatible glass pieces together in a kiln up to 1500 degrees, then you can refire them into a mold to create the shape you want for your end product.

I consider myself an experimental kiln fused glass artist fascinated by the possibilities of this medium. I love the way glass can be manipulated to create both delicate and powerful forms, and is constantly experimenting with new techniques and materials. One of the things I enjoy most about working with fused glass is the element of surprise. When I fire a piece in the kiln, sometimes she might not know exactly what the final result will be. This unpredictability is part of what makes fused glass so exciting for me and hope my work will inspire others to think about the world around them in new ways. My favorite is mixed media where I incorporates wood, metal, and shells/coral into my glass art.

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

To experiment with new techniques on fusing glass and incorporating into items that can be recycled into art pieces.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

As a business financial manager everything needed to “add up”, art is not like that. I had to unlearn that everything doesn’t need to be perfect and that failures can turn into wonder pieces with a little rework and ingenuity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://queenieglassandsass.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glasswithqueenie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/queenieglassandsass/