Joy McLaurin

About the artist:

Joy lives and works in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains, in Anchorage, Alaska. Her designs reflect the ever-changing landscape that surrounds her. From the wild flowers and waterfalls, to icy blue glaciers and the shimmering salmon of summer. The rusty red and yellow mountains of autumn, as termination dust marks an interlude to the dancing northern lights of winter.

As an environmentalist, Joy is always looking for ways to immortalize environmental objects in glass. She is working on a collection of volcano beads, featuring ash from a variety of Alaskan volcanos.

As an avid recycler and repurposer, she utilizes recycled bottle glass and bicycle parts in her work. Her most recent line features earrings made out of bicycle chain, each adorned with a drop of molten colored glass resulting in an 'orb' effect. If you're a bicyclist or love a bicyclist, these earrings would make a fabulous stocking stuffer!

When not at the torch or beading, she enjoys cycling, hiking, camping, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.