Sometimes the path one’s life takes can be surprising. For 41-year-old Alison Manns, it’s been a pleasant surprise.
As a nurse and busy mom of three boys, Manns had her hands full. She never imagined she would be an artist creating designs in her own studio.
“I have a hard time calling myself an artist,” said Manns, adding that when people introduce her as an artist, she laughs. “The response I get is so encouraging and surprising.”
Manns’ art career began as a simple hobby when her husband presented her with the gift of a weekend stained glass workshop while the family was living in England 10 years ago.
It was meant to be a get-away from the busy, but often mundane, role of being a stay-at-home mom. Manns fell in love with glass that weekend.
“I loved being a mom and staying at home with the kids, but sometimes I felt like there’s not time for just me,” said Manns. “It was just a really nice escape and it gave me a sense of completion.”
When the family moved back to the Cochrane area, Manns resumed her nursing career. She also began receiving requests for her glass.
“It was just a hobby, something for me to do while raising little kids. Friends knew I was doing it, so I started doing these little commission pieces for friends and it got bigger and bigger.”
Five years ago, Manns made the life-changing decision to quit her nursing career, enabling her to focus on family and art.
It was a tough decision.
“It was so hard to leave that career behind,” said Manns. “I was really trying to do it all…something had to go, because I wasn’t really doing a good job at anything.”
Although Manns has never taken formal art classes, she has always loved colour, texture and handmade items. That love, coupled with a practical hands-on nature, makes glass art the perfect fit.
Over the years, her business has transitioned from mostly commissioned stained glass work such as traditional panels and custom furniture, to creating her own warm-glass designs.
Manns creates a design using various pieces of coloured glass, then heats it to about 1,450 °F in a wind-powered kiln, where it melts and fuses together to create a piece of solid glass similar to tempered glass.
That piece is then reheated in a ceramic mold, where it takes on a brand new shape.
Manns crafts a variety of pieces, such as jewelry, platters and bowls, that are not only beautiful, but also functional.
“It is very organic and kind of whimsical,” she said. “It tends to be pretty colourful. I have a really strong practical side to me too, so I like stuff that looks nice that you can actually do something with.”
For now, Manns’ main priority remains her kids, but her dream is to one day own a working studio in a small town.
In the meantime, Manns will continue to balance a part-time art career with motherhood and volunteer work, which often includes donating her art to causes like Haiti relief, schools, churches and women’s shelters.
For more information about Manns’ designs, email her at [email protected]
