“Have You Lost Your Way?”

My first neon piece

Jan 2023 I signed up for a 3 month class with Lili Lakich in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles. I didn’t learn how to bend glass but rather how to fabricate and design neon signs, such as drawing patterns and learning how to pick materials.

I decided to make my piece a multimedia painting & neon sign. The concept was based off a digital drawing I did in 2020. After some sketches, a few classes and learning more… I was able to figure out how to safely go about the execution. With the help of my partner, I built the housing (the box that holds the wiring) and the layered wood pieces in my garage. In the class, we commissioned an experienced glass blower to finalize our patterns. For the wiring and construction, I wanted to be as hands on as I could so it felt as much as my own piece as possible. I took many trips to the local neon supply shop and learned as much as possible while being in Lily’s class. Neon is a dying art and getting to gain knowledge first hand was really special.

It had been a dream of mine to mix my art with neon for years and I’m so excited to have started that journey. Overall, I would love to have a piece 100% made by my own hands but that will take more dedication and time to get there. I’ve since taken separate classes at Museum of Neon Art in Glendale to practice my own glass bending. I’m currently in the process of setting up burners in my studio so I can put in the hours to get where I want to be with this medium.