Heart of Glass: Meet Workhouse Artist Jody Lee

Who would've thought that Jody Lee, that soprano who taught singing lessons for 17 years from her home in St. Catharines in Ontario, Canada, would find herself contentedly focused on making intricate glass jewelry under a 4,300 degree propane torch at Lorton's Workhouse Arts Center?

"It's so easy to lose yourself. It's very zen-like," said Lee to Patch. "You're perpetually in the moment at the torch, because you can easily get burned or screw up the piece." 

To the casual observer it may seem that Lee, who wears a glass heart pendant with wings, has been making glass jewelry all of her life. 

Lee is a classically trained soprano, and graduated with a degree in music from Brock University. She sang in ensembles and opera groups, and spent 17 years teaching music theory and voice lessons from her home in St. Catharines. 

Everything changed for Lee when she decided to make Christmas presents from glass beads for her friends and family. She discovered a hidden talent and enrolled in a class. Before long she cleared out her basement, installed a ventilation system and bought a torch. 

The following year, she met her soon-to-be husband on an airplane on the way home from a glass workshop in Oregon. The couple married in 2009, and Lee and her son moved to Woodbridge in 2009. By 2010, Lee was volunteering at the Workhouse. 

Lee opened her studio in building 7 this month. It's a tidy space, full of raw and finished pieces - everything from beaded necklaces, bracelets, pendants and a few sculptures.

"My favorite part is the way the glass melts," said Lee. "It's a fine balance between heat and time and knowing when to take it out of the flame. To me, this is my selfish time - time for the glass and me - and later I'm very happy to share my work with people."

Jody Lee's work can be seen at her studio in building 7 of the Workhouse Arts Center.