Why would a social worker who has a private practice specializing in the field of addictions, bereavement and general mental health issues venture into art? "For me, art is my balance. It is about finding my "self", my "soul" in a way, apart and separate from being with others. For me, it can be a very private journey. Art is about finding my passion, finding my purpose unrelated to anything else," says glassblower Joan Schneider.

Raised in Springfield, Ohio, Joan moved to Indianapolis in 1980. She bought a home in Broad Ripple and started a private practice (Her former office was above the Corner Wine Bar for 10 years). Passionate about cooking, she remembers, "I loved the tile floor in the old Lobraico's drug store and always wanted to turn it into a sweet French/country café, but instead opened a Bed and Breakfast for five years."

Art has been a constant in her life. As a child, Joan was involved in performance arts. As an adult, she took numerous classes in the visual arts, such as ceramics, jewelry and hand made papers. While visiting a glass exhibit at the Indianapolis Art Center, she had a spiritual homecoming. The experience awakened the love of glass that was always within her. She felt drawn to glass as early as age 10, when she received her first paperweight from her mother's best friend who had just died. That paperweight is still a beloved possession.

Once she found her passion, Joan expanded professionally by taking classes and traveling to conferences and demonstrations of glass blowing techniques. In 2001, she went to Murano, Italy to observe traditional Italian glassblowing techniques. Influenced by Italian master Lino Tagliapietra, she has a life dream to see him work in person.

Joan's latest project was inspired by a trip to France last fall. While visiting Monet's home in Giverny, she stood next to a pastel artist who was drawing the water lily pond and was inspired to create that landscape in blown glass. The result is like a painting with glass, a series titled Oscar's Nymphéas. (Although Claude Monet was the name he used for paintings, Oscar was Monet's first name. Nymphéas means water lilies in French.) Look closely at the vessels of the series, and you can see the pink of water lilies and the swirl of clouds. Another has star murrinis twinkling in the sky. This use of murrini is an ancient process sometimes described as mosaic sections. It is made from pulled glass cane that is cut into ¼ inch slices like Christmas rock candy. Just like the famous Impressionist, Schneider is working on a Spring and Summer series and will move to Fall colors this summer. To create the series, she first lays the frit (small grains of colored glass) in the desired design on a steel table called a marver. Frit gives little dashes and dots of color to the glass. Once the glass is heated on the pipe, she picks up the design on the marver and continues the process until its effect meet her visualization.

Oscar's Nymphéas is not the only series this prolific artist is creating. Transposing a classic Venetian design into her personal style has resulted in unique forms of gold leaf over a transparent bubble surrounded by several layers of clear glass. To celebrate the month of May tradition, she has blown items of black and white polka dots for the Art in Hand co-op gallery in Zionsville. Unlike the romantic Oscar's Nymphéas, these pieces are bold and flamboyant.

Joan has received significant recognition for her inspirations. The Hoosier Salon has accepted her pieces into their annual exhibition for the past 3 years; she received a Purchase Award in 2002 and a Merit Award in 2004. This year she has been accepted by the Indiana State Museum Art Fair, the Broad Ripple Art Fair (booth 6), and Summerfair in Cincinnati.

In addition to shows, look for Joan Schneider's work in Indiana and Ohio. In Indianapolis, visit Arts in Harmony or The Art Source. If you are traveling, check out the IMA in Columbus or the Studio Gallery in Nashville.

Want to learn how to blow glass? Joan finds time to teach as well. Call the Indianapolis Art Center for details.