Loretta Eby received her BFA in Glass, with minors in Printmaking and Drawing, from the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, OH in 1981. She has continued her education at the Penland School of Crafts, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, and the Pilchuck School of Glass. Her emphasis since college has been on hot glass, working in and managing several studios before opening her own studio in 1985. Jeff Jackson has been involved with glass for 26 years and is entirely self-taught. He owned studios on the Oregon coast and north Florida before moving to Georgia in 1985. Loretta and Jeff joined forces in 1984 and this collaboration resulted in a new presentation of glass and metal sculptures, which are highly prized in many personal and corporate collections. This award-winning team continues to produce innovative glass designs and sculpture. Glass artist Loretta Eby They find inspiration in the oddest of places. "My idea of a good time is finding a new junk yard or farm equipment salvage lot. It's way more fun than mall shopping.", says Loretta. In places such as those, they find 'art parts', shapes, textures and even discarded tools that are assembled into striking combinations with their glass. In Jeff's view, "The hardness of the steel in contrast to the apparent softness of the glass can offer interesting new ways of seeing common objects." Making art often involves learning a new vocabulary or language relating to the materials as well as puzzle/problem solving in both esthetic and technical areas. While they often have differing ideas or approaches to a given concept, Loretta and Jeff enjoy the process of working together to create the finished works. Sometimes the process even works!