Close to thirty years ago a friend showed me a piece of porcelain that she had painted, blackberries and wild roses on a small vase. I was so taken with it that she invited me to join her porcelain painting class. Most of the work I did there was florals and, being an avid gardener and having a degree in graphic design, it wasn’t long before I felt like I had found my niche. My latest passion is painting birds and the occasional portrait. The process is comprised of mixing an oil with powdered glass pigment and applying it with a brush to the glazed porcelain. The piece is fired in a kiln to a temperature of up to approximately 1400 degrees. This painting and firing process is repeated multiple times until the desired depth of color is achieved. With care, each piece can provide many years of enjoyment.