Following retirement after 30 years of teaching chemistry, for the last nine years, her “playing” has refined into the serious glass art of flamework. “Even as a child, I was mesmerized by glass objects,” Fran said. “And as a chemistry teacher for more than a couple of decades, I played a little with shaping glass for very simple laboratory uses. Glass has such intrinsic beauty as a material; I love its fluidity and range,” she said.

Much more than a chemistry teacher, Fran is very much aware of Indiana’s long history in glasswork. She also is attuned to Indiana’s natural beauty, and says, “I try to capture themes of nature in my pieces, as well as that range of glass color. We are surrounded by nature’s beauty in our Indiana countryside and I try to interpret that in glass.”