DENISE GUYTON. . .

                                                              "I was always a crafty kid!"

     Thanks to my paternal grandmother, I learned to use a wide variety of materials. . .   felt, sequins, beads and baubles.  She shared with me her skills in working with fabric, doll making and needlework. . .and then trivets made with resin, ice cube candles, bean mosaic, tin, foil & wire sculpting, decoupage, cracked glass marble jewelry making, painting, pinecone & nut wreaths. . .found objects to create with were especially treasured.  Grandma lived in Minnesota (where I was born) and came out to California for the winter. . .I loved spending time with her and always looked forward to our next project. 

    I grew up in Santa Rosa and studied Liberal Arts at Santa Rosa Jr College, while doing freelance wedding and portrait photography.  I moved to the Monterey Peninsula to marry my husband, Dr. John Guyton, and help manage his Chiropractic office.  Suddenly widowed at 32 with a 2 year old daughter, I moved to Calaveras County to be near my parents who were building a home and retiring. 

     I  met the Quyle family when my daughter, Allison, started preschool with Leda, who is the grandaughter of Paul and Joyce Quyle.  I started working in the pottery shop with Joyce and Pamela in 1985. . .I loved bringing my daughter to "work" with me. . .it was a magical time. . .busy and happy! . .however needing to earn a living I became a Registered Electrologist and have continued in that career for over 20 years.

     Fast forward to 2009. . .I came back to play at the Quyle Studio.  My interests now include fusing dichroic glass for jewelry, as well as slumping glass for vessels.  Pamela had been doing work in this medium for some time and I have benefited greatly from her experience.  I've trained to work on the torch, lampworking and blowing with the glory hole.  My goal is to fashion a working hot shop and expand my exploration of hot, warm and cold glass working.

     I have also fallen back in love with clay through the sculpting classes offered at Quyle Kilns by Marlene Wiley Bradford.  With her help I keep progressing and challenging myself in class and on my own to continue growing with this medium.

     It is all so facinating, stimulating and exciting. . .I even participated in a Raku firing this summer. . .please take a look at some of my creations below. . . 

        MOSAIC CLASS AT QUYLE KILNS 

                            JEWELRY CLASS        

       ALICIA'S FABULOUS 15th BIRTHDAY!!_____     

   ALICIA AND SEVEN OF HER BFF'S ENJOYED THE  DAY  MAKING JEWELRY WITH DENISE AT THE QUYLE KILNS !!!



  Molds used to slump glass in the kiln to create a dish form.