Jennifer Welch was born in the Chicago, Illinois area to an artist father and educator mother. She grew up surrounded by art and artists, learning drawing, design, painting and silk screen printing from her father, other artists, and the many art classes she took. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois in Fine Arts and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Wisconsin. In art, she was always drawn to the three-dimensional arts such as pottery. About fifteen years ago, she began studying Fused Glass and Stained Glass and simply fell in love with the design possibilities. Her style is eclectic, ranging from bowls and platters to full sized fused glass “paintings”. Her stained-glass work consists primarily of commissioned works that are installed in homes. For fun, she creates jewelry, small vessels, and Holiday ornaments. She and her husband moved to the Hawaiian Islands in 2012 and she is inspired by the beauty of the islands, which is expressed in most of her pieces. Though retired from the Education world, she still enjoys teaching Fused Glass, Stained Glass and Mosaic classes in her studio located on the Kalanianaole Highway. She has been selected for juried art exhibits, shown at private shows and is currently the Resident Artist at Calvary by the Sea Lutheran Church.