Alison Thibault Brings The Craft Of Color To Vinalhaven

“I'm able to make color by working with glass and the glass that I work with is fused dichroic glass, which I work in a kiln. But what really got me started was I had a pair of earrings that my Mom had given me years ago and I lost one. I was inspired to make a match for that earring at the same time that I was looking for a new way to find work to walk through my day,” said Alison.Alison was a commercial banker in Northern Virginia and she found that a nine-to-five job wasn’t her calling. Her mother gave her a book called The Artists Way by Julia Cameron and this really opened her eyes to get into a more creative hobby which has now turned into her full-time job. She also has a family filled with creatives and she never thought she would go in a similar direction as her family members.“I never considered myself that person until I went through this process and that broadened what I was going to look for, as far as work. So then I started thinking, well, maybe I could write the great American novel, or I could, you know, make a line of note cards, and it just started me on a different path. So it wasn't a big stretch when I did lose that earring and I was driven to make a match for it. As I was doing that, and I started the process of learning how to make fused glass, I would wear my work, because that was the point. People started asking to buy the work right off of me. So I listened. And I went, you know, I, I did a few things that my banking background helped me with, I figured out the cost analysis of the process. Was this something that I was going to be able to actually make a living at? The answer was, yes,” said Alison.Alison has made over 193 different colors into her glass pieces and she continues to think of innovative ways of growing her craft. You can find her website here and find her on Facebook and Instagram. Tune in to hear more about Alison's story.Also, the featured musician of this episode is Joshua Eden who is originally from Vinalhaven. Here is his track Certain Kind of Love. If you enjoyed this Makers of the USA episode, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Facebook. Please check out Makers of the USA's YouTube channel, Facebook and Instagram. Thank you all and stay safe and healthy.