Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lisa Maywood. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lisa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Thinking back, I first knew I wanted to pursue an artistic career at the age of 15, while still in high school. I was fortunate to grow up in an environment that encouraged artistic expression. As a child, I found creative inspiration in the different countries and cultures my family visited during our yearly vacations.

My art teacher, who had already taught various disciplines such as drawing, painting, photography, and batik, played a pivotal role in nurturing my passion. I eagerly enrolled in all of her courses, and they quickly became the highlight of my high school years. These were the classes that truly excited me and made me eager to learn more.

However, there was one particular moment that stands out, one that solidified my path toward an artistic career. My teacher had begun to rally the school board for permission to introduce a new course in stained glass. Initially, her requests were denied repeatedly due to concerns about student safety and potential liability issues. But after much persistence and persuasion, the board finally agreed.

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?

At the age of 15, while in high school, I enrolled in a stained glass class as an art elective. I loved it so much that I repeated the class the following semester, eventually becoming the teacher’s aide. It was during this time that I discovered the artistic medium that would become my life’s calling.

Throughout high school and college, I further honed my stained glass skills through a series of private continuing education courses. While these classes provided a strong foundation, I yearned to learn more about the art of stained glass.

After graduating from the University of Southern California (USC) with a BA in Communication Arts and Sciences and a Minor in Spanish, I worked as a traffic manager at a busy advertising agency. However, after six years in the industry, I found myself feeling unfulfilled. One day, while browsing the Internet, I stumbled upon a small art school in southern Switzerland that focused solely on advanced stained glass techniques. Intrigued, I decided to take a leap and use my vacation time to visit the school—The Ecole de Vitrail et de Creation (School of Stained Glass and Creation) in Monthey, Switzerland.

Despite being 12,000 miles from home and not speaking French, I enrolled in the school in September 1999 and graduated with a diploma in stained glass creation in June 2002. The 3-year program offered unparalleled expertise, enriched by the nearby world-famous cathedrals and monuments. This European-based school provided the perfect environment for learning the centuries-old tradition of stained glass.

The comprehensive curriculum, which included drawing, painting, design, and every aspect of the stained glass process, made it the ideal place to explore both modern and traditional styles. My class consisted of just four students, and with only 15 students enrolled in the entire school, we received constant individual attention from the instructors.

After returning from Europe, I faced the dilemma of whether to work for a large studio or start my own business. In November 2003, I took a leap of faith and opened my own studio—Verre Designs Glass Art. Derived from the French word for glass, Verre Designs specializes in the design and production of custom-crafted stained glass art for commercial, residential, and liturgical settings. For the past 20 years, my focus has been on creating timeless, one-of-a-kind stained glass and fused glass pieces that seamlessly integrate into the architecture or setting. Glass art is transformative and can evoke powerful emotions, and I hope my clients will treasure their pieces forever.

Since my inaugural solo exhibition at Dulcinea in San Diego in 2004, I have participated in numerous exhibitions. My work has been featured in publications such as the La Jolla Light, San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles Magazine, San Diego Uptown News, Glass Craftsman Magazine, and The Great Book of Contemporary Stained Glass. My work was also included in Lights of the World, an international panorama of contemporary stained glass art, at the International Center of Stained Glass in Chartres, France.

At Verre Designs, I create custom stained glass windows and fused glass art, with every piece being a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted artwork. My studio, located in the Arts District at Liberty Station in Point Loma, CA, offers a wide range of styles—from hand-painted stained glass to geometric designs, abstract art, and custom installations for cabinets, doors, and windows. I want each client to have a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art, and I pour my heart and soul into each project, resulting in rewarding and lasting works of art.

In addition to custom creations, I also offer unique fused glass gift items such as decorative sculptures, plates, bowls, vases, candle holders, and jewelry.

Restoring vintage stained glass windows to their original splendor is another service I offer. One of my proudest accomplishments was restoring the stained glass windows in the main sanctuary at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in La Jolla, CA—carrying on the legacy of the original artist who created them in 1930.

For nearly 20 years, I’ve also had the privilege of teaching stained glass classes in San Diego, currently at the Craft Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in La Jolla, and at San Diego Craft Collective in Point Loma, CA.

I am deeply proud that my skills are rooted in this traditional art form, which has remained largely unchanged for centuries.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

The journey of my stained glass career has not been easy, but I am deeply grateful every day for my time and experiences in Switzerland. However, when I made the decision to attend the school in Switzerland, I quickly realized that all the classes were taught in French. Despite having studied Spanish throughout high school and college, I had little knowledge of French. There were many times when I had no idea what anyone was saying. I struggled to understand the lessons and take notes, often resorting to speaking my own mixed language of English and French.

For art history class, I would draw simple line sketches of famous artworks to jog my memory. Then I would go home and study the artwork in English online. Fortunately, my teacher allowed me to write my test answers in English, or else I would have struggled significantly.

Living in Europe was an incredible experience, but it required adapting to many cultural differences. Back then, there were very few Americans in Sion, Switzerland, so we were easy to spot. Everything felt foreign to me, especially when I first arrived. Even simple tasks, like grocery shopping and running errands, were challenging. Most businesses closed on Sundays, and I didn’t have a smartphone to help me translate or navigate the world. Initially, I missed the convenience and familiarity of life in California. But eventually, I grew accustomed to the European lifestyle and came to realize that many of these customs contributed to the overall quality of life there. It felt like I was living in two distinct worlds—missing the U.S. when I was in Europe and missing Europe when I was back in California.

Owning my own studio for the past 22 years has been an exciting experience, but it’s not without its challenges. When you’re running your own business as a one-person operation, you’re responsible for everything—from bookkeeping and advertising to cleaning, ordering supplies, teaching, and, of course, working on the artwork itself. It can be overwhelming at times. You have to be disciplined and willing to juggle many tasks at once. But despite the challenges, I remain happy and fulfilled every day when I arrive at my studio. There is truly no other job I would rather do.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best way society can support artists and creatives is by attending art events and supporting living artists through the purchase of the art that resonates with them. Every sale counts and helps keep the doors of my studio open.

Society must recognize that, as professional artists, we dedicate a significant part of our lives to learning and honing our craft. Just like anyone in business or science-related fields, this is the career I’ve chosen. It is my profession. I also take great pride in the fact that I am still learning new techniques every day. To non-artists, it may seem like I’m just having fun in my studio, playing with materials. But I am not playing, and it’s not always fun. I must manage every aspect of the business—purchasing materials, creating beautiful art, and making sales—just like any other small business owner. There’s a saying that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become a professional in any field. I’ve been working in glass art professionally for 22 years.

I want society to understand how challenging it is to make a profit as a full-time artist. Your support truly makes a difference. Professional artists deserve to make a decent wage that allows us to pay our bills and live a good life, too. So, when people comment that my estimate or hourly wage is too expensive, I often wonder why it’s acceptable for someone to earn a great salary in real estate, construction, interior design, law, business, or medicine, but not in art—especially when art is often one of their first purchases to enhance their new home or business.

When you go to a museum, an art opening, or purchase art for your home or business, I want society to remember the immense role that art plays in their lives. Art educates, records history, entertains, evokes different feelings and memories, and influences new generations. Art sets the tone and atmosphere of any room or setting. Imagine how empty life would be without art and artistic expression. We need artists in all disciplines to continue to bring beauty into this chaotic world. Purchasing art from living artists is what makes our creative ecosystem thrive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.VerreDesigns.com
• Instagram: ttps://www.instagram.com/lisa_verredesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.verredesigns
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/VerreDesignsGlassArt

  https://libertystation.com/go/verre-designs-glass-art

Image Credits

Photos by Lisa Maywood