Serena Smith, glass artist of Oregon, caught my eye on Etsy with her gently rounded feminine figure beads, all earth mothers and goddesses, and floral beads that are tiny fantastical garden gems — but I think it was really the sinuous perwinkle-blue-tailed mermaid who made me an instant fan.

Serena’s been making beads since 1991, and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1996 with a degree in glass. A member of the Oregon Glass Guild, International Society of Glass Beadmakers, Glass Art Society and Portland Bead Society, she is a self-supporting artist and craftsperson, “occasional teacher” of the fine craft of glass lampworking.

You can find images of Serena’s beads in several books and magazines, including the gorgeous1000 Glass Beads published by Lark Books — and you can find the artist herself at Serena J.A. Smith Designs. She sells her beads on Etsy at serena29.etsy.com.

As mesmerizing as the play of sunbeams on ice, this graceful mermaid is one of my favourite pieces in the portfolio of glass artist Randy Mardrus:

“I’m a perfectionist and glass carving is a medium that is very unforgiving and will always challenge me… Depth and motion are my primary goals while creating the mood in my visual dramas…”

Handmade from start to finish, his work is more than the inspired design and meticulous carving of clear glass to create a one-of-a-kind artwork — more than simple relief carving and well beyond traditional stained-glass illuminated art. The secret of colour here lies in the specially designed lighting (hidden in the frame) that brings each piece to vibrant life. See more beauty at randymardrus.com.