Four times a year, we welcome a new visiting guest local artist into Riverside Collective. Our Winter guest artist (in residence Jan-Mar) is local fused glass, stained glass, and mosaic artist, Marion of DarionGlass. We caught up with Marion to ask a few questions about her process and her art:
What inspires your art?
I get inspiration from nature, talking with friends, seeing other art forms and testing how it translates into glasswork, and by making mistakes and finding a whole new way or item to create.
If you were to speak for your art how would you fill in these prompts?
I feel… like fun, sunshine and putting a smile on your face
I need… to stretch my wings and try to fly higher
I am… happy to be creative and sharing the sun
A mosaic tray in progress
What’s your favorite tool and why?
My kiln! It works for me in my garage and fires my glass pieces to between 1300º-1500ºF depending on what I'm creating. Once I have arranged everything just right and set the firing schedule, I don't get to see the glass until it is finished and fully cooled back down. Every time I open the kiln, it's a surprise to see if the glass shifted in a weird way, changed color, cracked, or came out exactly like I envisioned. The kiln keeps me on my toes!
stained glass plant propagation stations with removable test tubes
What’s one thing that someone who isn’t a glass artist wouldn’t know about what you do?
There is a lot of pre-assembly work -- such creating the pattern, grinding the glass to fit the pattern, creating the 'add-on' accents such as dots or lines. Then there is the post-assembly work -- such as cutting and adding chain, drilling a hole for hanging or an incense stick, and polishing the stained glass projects to protect the finish.
A custom mosaic covered guitar memorial art piece
What idea or concept are you chewing on as an artist right now?
I hope to introduce a new glass project each month of my residency.
Are you a rebel with your art in any way? How does that make it better?
When I started making glass, I followed all the rules that the teacher had explained. My first piece that didn't come out exactly as planned showed me that I could do more than I learned in class. I took that as an opportunity and began exploring more variations, and now that I don't always "follow the rules", the possibilities are endless!
many works in progress at various stages of completion!
Meet the artist and learn more about the process at our Guest Artist Reception for DarionGlass on February 22nd, 2026!
