Sharry Miller

Photorealistic Imagery in Glass

Serious overload. My brain is mush, and I'm only halfway through my workshops at the Glass Craft and Bead Expo in Las Vegas. I was here three years ago, and I remember having the same sense of impending meltdown. It's worth it, though. I spent the last two days in Gail Stouffer's class Making Your Mark. We learned several methods for getting photorealistic (or sort of, anyway) images in fused glass pieces using enamels. A... Read more →

Las Vegas for Rowan

Monday I headed to Las Vegas with my mom and mother-in-law for the Glass Craft and Bead Expo, four days of workshops and exhibits, mostly about art glass, but with a few other odds and ends thrown in, as well. Classes didn't start until today (Wednesday), so yesterday the moms and I headed off to explore the Strip. (We're staying at the South Point Hotel and Casino which is pretty far off the main drag.)... Read more →

Banner Day

Yesterday was a fabulous day. To begin with, I went for my first bike ride since I sprained my knees two weeks ago. I had to take it easy, but it was still a marvelous ride in the sunshine. I was bluntly reminded that it's not really quite spring yet, however, when I rode into the shadow of the mountain to the south of Port Valdez. Brrr! The photos below may be uninspiring, but hidden... Read more →

Say it Now, Not Later

I am debating writing this post, even as I type the words. I feel as if I'm taking advantage of someone else's tragedy to expound upon my personal thoughts, but apparently I'm saying, "so be it." I had the misfortune-pleasure-honor of attending a memorial service last night for the first time in over 11 years. The last was for my father-in-law who died after a long illness in his mid-60s. Last night's celebration of life... Read more →

Leaping Led to Excitement

"Ron, this is Sharry Miller. She's the artist," the middle school principal said to the construction manager. Ron introduced me the same way to the construction foreman. I failed to resist rolling my eyes as I shook hands and exchanged nice-to-meet-yous with both men. "The artist" just sounded so pretentious. In this case, however, I suppose it was appropriate. I was at Valdez's still-under-construction middle school to consult about lighting the artwork that will be... Read more →

Sky Delights

Last week I spent three days in eastern Prince William Sound helping run an oil spill response exercise. I finally had a chance to look through my pictures and consider what I wanted to share about this experience. For a variety of reasons, I don't normally write here about my work with the Alaska Dept. of Environmental Conservation, a habit I don't intend to change. As I scanned my photos, I decided that what struck... Read more →

A Bitter End

I had mentally drafted such a joyous blog post for this wonderful Saturday. I'd been thrilled to make it home from a three-day drill not too late last night, so I was able to help at Rowan's swim meet this morning. Commitments out of the way, I looked forward to making the most of a beautiful day. By noon, the sun was shining bright, the winds had chosen to visit somewhere else, and the thermometer... Read more →