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Leah Fairbanks - CSGA Wall of Fame

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Leah Fairbanks began her career in glass in 1982 with studies at the prestigious Pilchuck School of Glass, and The Colton Glass School.  She explored and pushed the limits of the medium, creating stained glass windows, neon sculptures, fused glass plates, bowls and jewelry.  Inspired by her travels throughout France, Ms. Fairbanks specialized in commissioned installations for galleries and the home.  Leah's custom designed works of art, such as her stained glass and neon sculpture, Wind in the City of Light, have won her regional and national acclaim. 

Leah's first lampworked glass beadmaking class in 1992 guided the course of her path into the realm of hot glass.  She found the quality of working with molten glass at the flame seductive and inspiring.  From the onset of her lampworking career, Leah has translated her love of flora & fauna into delicate glass creations and aptly named her studio Gardens of Glass.  Working with the exotic irises and orchids from her garden she drew upon nature to establish her sculptural collection of Goddesses, Angels and Mermaids.

To achieve a life-like rendering of flowers and leaves, Leah frequently mixes her own blends of frit and enamel powders to personalize her glass beads.  Recurrent motifs of composition include wheat, iris, lavender and berries.  Her Tapestry series of autumn leaves highlights her use of mixed metals, while The Monet series paints intricate bouquets of color.  Bead & Button honored Ms. Fairbanks' distinguishing floral style with a commission to design their first commemorative lampworked glass bead for the year 2000.  In her most recent work, Leah collaborates with her husband Derek Lusk of Opal Illusions.  She begins by custom blending her glass to simulate semiprecious stones.  Derek then sets gemstones such as ruby, sapphire, or topaz into each finished bead using an 18K bezel.  These beads are often finished with faceted detail to reveal a truly elegant silhouette.  Leah has fittingly named this collaboration her Bijoux collection.

Ms. Fairbanks was intimately involved in the resurgence of professional lampworked glass beadmaking in America during the 1990's.  Leah's exploration in garden motifs directly influenced and impacted the early movement of floral decoration in contemporary glass beadmaking.  Serving on the second Board of Directors of the Society of Glass Beadmakers, Leah provided direction in its formative stage in her role as Secretary/Treasurer from 1994 to 1995.

As an accomplished instructor, Leah has taught Beginning to Advanced Glass Beadmaking workshops nationwide since 1994.  Always involved in innovation within her medium, she became one of the first lampwork artists in America to experiment with the Japanese Satake glass and to incorporate these beads into her collection.  In 1998, Leah had the opportunity to attend the Glass Art Society conference held in Seto, Japan, and to tour the Satake Glass Factory in Osaka, Japan.  In 2001 the Bullseye Glass Factory of Portland, Oregon organized an instructor's forum, and she was one of eight educators chosen to participate in a week of glass experimentation including a behind the scenes tour of the factory.  

Leah continues to expand her international curriculum, which includes a teaching position at Red Deer College in Alberta, Canada.  In December 2001, she was honored with an invitation to present a slide show on Contemporary American Glass Beadmakers at the Second Annual Japanese Bead Festival in Nara, Japan.  She conducted a pre-festival class, in addition to demonstrating her glass beadmaking techniques on both days of the festival.  In 2002 Leah returned to Europe with an invitation to lead an advanced glass beadmaking seminar held in the lovely seaside town of Le Treport located in Normandie, France.  Recent travels brought Leah to the West Coast of Ireland where she taught in Mulranny County Mayo in the fall of 2004.

Leah specializes in finished jewelry as well as limited edition beads and her work is represented in galleries across the United States and Asia.  These necklaces and earring sets intertwine her hand made glass beads with multiple strands of unique semi-precious stones and fresh water pearls.  Leah makes her home in Ashland, Oregon with her husband Derek, and their daughter, Tara Arabella.