About the Artist
Hello!
My name is Jill Strickland. I grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and have always loved the ocean, spending most summer days at the beach. All throughout my life, I have traveled around the Florida Keys and the Caribbean. While living in the Florida Keys 25 years ago, I met my husband, Bill. Since then, we married and had two children, Gage (22) who has graduated from the College of Coastal Georgia and recently obtained his Florida real estate license, and Peyton (20) who is attending the University of Georgia to study marketing! One day Bill and I wish to return to the Keys and open up a little glass coral gift shop. My love for the beautiful coral reefs of the Caribbean is what inspired my coral theme for my glass art.
My Story
I recently discovered my passion for fusing glass. A good friend of mine that I met while living in Florida introduced me to the art of glass fusing. Fusing glass is a tedious process. It is done using sheets of glass, hand-cut into strips, which are meticulously placed together in a unique pattern. After perfecting a pattern, a creation is ready to be fused together in a 1400°+ kiln. What started out as a hobby in February of 2020, quickly turned into an online business. As a pre-k paraprofessional, during the pandemic, I found myself with a ton of time on my hands when the country was locked down. With all my spare time, I worked hard on expanding my coral creations and growing my small business. None of this would be possible without the help of my brilliant daughter, Peyton, who designed my website and runs my social media and email marketing.