Shelby Hawthorne is no stranger to extraordinary creativity.

 

Shelby grew up on the coastline of Big Sur, CA surrounded by a family of skilled artists in all different mediums. So it was no surprise to anyone in her family when she decided to follow in her family’s footsteps and make a career in art for herself.

 

In her freshman year at California College of the Arts, Shelby fell in love with glass.

While pursuing the medium at CCA Shelby additionally continued to improve and expand upon her education each summer at the Pilchuck Glass School.

 

Smitten by the medium, Shelby also took a job working for the functional glass dinnerware artisan, Annie Morhauser at Annieglass. This work experience helped Shelby to discover and explore the art of functional tableware.

 

After graduating and receiving her BFA from CCA in 2011, she moved to Washington, where she gained more experience working alongside other artists at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma.

 

Shelby now works full-time in her studio in Sand City, CA where she continues to create incredible works of fused and slumped glass, as well as unique sets of functional tableware.

 

Inspired by the beauty, strength, depth, and color of glass, Shelby’s goal is “to bring fun and color back into gallery art.”

 

You can find pieces by Shelby at the Hawthorne Gallery, but you can also experience the joy of eating off of her functional glass tableware at the world-renowned Post Ranch Inn.