Wendy Graham

I grew up on the Severn River that flows into the Chesapeake Bay. My life was idyllic
– crabbing, fishing and playing games on the beach. I was a kid then, but noticed the
river faced water quality challenges. I saw dead fish on the shore or fish floating in
the water. At other times there were long stretches of white foam at the shoreline.
As a graduate student at Cornell University studying Environmental Sciences, I
viewed my early childhood experiences through the lens of a scientist. By that time
the Chesapeake Bay was frequently in the news: Reports surfaced about extensive
water pollution and pesticide runoff from agricultural fields. The decline of the
important blue crab industry was due to these environmental problems.
Now living on the west coast I see different issues such as red tides and a warming
environment, in addition to storm drain runoff that pollutes the water and shipping
accidents that maim or kill wildlife. However, married to a man who loves to scuba
dive, I see the ocean from a completely different perspective…the ethereal beauty of
its undulating gardens and magnificent and quirky creatures. 

Glass is a wonderful medium to experiment with color because of the way it looks when it comes in contact with bright light. It’s like seeing a beautiful gemstone such as an opal fluoresce under light. It shimmers beautifully. More recently I have delved in paper through Front Porch Gallery's Paper Craft Workshops.

The subjects of my pieces are mostly animals and flowers with landscapes and waterscapes sprinkled in. My pieces are most often created in vivid colors: I am not afraid to pursue unusual color combinations that seem to work. My friends have dubbed me “The Queen of Color!”

CA

United States