Growing up in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C., artist Debra Steidel was given her first set of oil paints by her mother at age 11, setting her on the path of a lifetime of creating art.

Steidel, a self-taught artist, became a potter at the age of 18, working as a functional potter and creating bowls, mugs, and other similar pieces. In the 1990’s, Steidel admits, “I had a bit of an awakening with my work and began to create sculptural sea forms. These forms have carried over into my current body of work in the lids that are cast in glass.”

Paired with hand thrown vessels glazed in the fickle “crystalline glaze” technique, these cast glass and porcelain lids create balance and harmony with the pottery and create captivating and engaging works of art. Using a process that involves 15-18 hours of firing and an additional 20 hours to cool, the glaze allows for crystals to "grow” on the surface creating an exotic and mesmerizing finished piece.

Ocean Echo Aqua with Ivory Blue and Aqua Glaze

“My inspirations almost always come from nature,” Steidel explains, “whether it be the textures and colors of rocks, to the translucency of sea-life. My mind is always thinking of how to take what I see and transform it into a sculpture or form.”

Tall Shadow Dancer 2