In recent years, the global conversation regarding climate change has become part of our daily lives. As an artist, Debra decided to reevaluate her part in our ecosystem, and I began a quest to find eco-friendly materials. She chooses to work with glass, not only because it’s renewable, but also because it is a process driven material with a long history. Through years of experimentation, she has developed her own approach which combines glass cold-working, lapidary, and jewelry making techniques. Using unconventional & interdisciplinary techniques allows Debra to push the boundaries of her materials in ever evolving ways.

The glass technique she uses is called 'cold-working' because she sculpts the glass as a solid, at room temperature. Debra does not at any time work with molten glass or press the glass into a mold. To begin, she formulates the color by laminating several sheets of colored glass to a thicker block of clear optical glass. She then cuts the glass with a wet diamond saw and sculpts it using flat-lap wheels or a slow spinning, water-fed lathe to grind the glass with a combination of stone and carbide grit. Debra fabricates the settings out of sterling silver using traditional jewelry making techniques including sawing, raising, forging, soldering, stone cutting, and stone-setting. Her goal is to convey a visceral feeling of depth and movement. Her work focuses on form, color, shadows, and light.