Rea Chartier

"I am inspired by nature, landscapes and memories and I love to capture special memories and places in stained glass.  I never decided to be an artist but I always wanted to make things.  I grew up in northern BC on a homestead.  My mother created out of need and sewed almost all of our clothes, quilts, knitted mitts and scarves and even made boots for the older kids once, out of multiple layers of cloths.  I started with paper crafts when I was young, then textiles like crocheting and knitting , sewing and macrame.  As a young adult I did painting, beading and quilting.  Once I had kids I made dolls and other crafts to sell.

I took my first stained glass class in Saskatoon, SK in 1989.  I loved the colour and interaction with light, but I couldn’t afford the supplies.  I finally got my first supplies in 2004 when my first grandchild was born.  I got my first kiln in 2013 to be able to sell small things so I could afford more stained glass supplies.  From 2023 to  the present, I have been taking mosaic classes to use up scrap glass.  I don’t like to waste.  I also look for recycled frames, old window frames, and other items to use as unique stands to incorporate into my stained glass pieces."

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 - Rea