Today we’d like to introduce you to Brooke Vega.
Hi Brooke, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Stained glass was something I have always been fascinated by; I had gotten to a point where I was obsessed with looking at YouTube videos on how to make stained glass and was considering purchasing all of the supplies. I decided to take a beginner class at Blue Moon Glassworks in Austin to see if I liked the craft before I bought supplies. After taking the 3-hour class, I was immediately hooked and began doing stained glass in the fall of 2019. I have tried many crafts throughout my years: sewing, latch hook, embroidery, painting, but nothing has clicked or stuck with me as stained glass has.
I started making pieces for friends and family for fun and to work on my skills. After really putting my all into this craft and becoming confident in my solder work, it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 when I actually started to sell my work. In the fall of 2020, I launched my small business Home Again Glassworks. I have mostly been working on commissions since I started my business, throwing in some personal designs for sale as well. I have also sold my work at a handful of markets in the Austin/Elgin area; a reoccurring market I attend is the Luna Market east of Austin in Elgin, which hosts a community of female makers in the area. I am hoping to get a website started in the near future, for now, I’m solely on Instagram.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say at times, it always hasn’t been a smooth road. I work a typical day job to get bills paid, so my glasswork is usually done late into the night and literally any free time I have. Sometimes as an artist, you can get caught in a creative block and comparing yourself to others; I’ve learned at the end of the day to just focus on myself and how I interpret inspiration and creativity into my designs.
My brother passed away unexpectedly in 2018. Though this was before I started glass, it still affects my everyday life. I do believe I found glass for a reason, and it definitely has helped me in many ways dealing with grief. Being able to create something beautiful really eases my mind and gives me something to look forward to. I have to keep my hands busy, which is why I have a ton of projects I’m working on. If I think of something I’d like to do, I’ll usually start on it or at least put it on pen and paper so I don’t forget. I am so grateful for my friends, family and anybody who has ever supported me, it keeps the drive going.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Home Again Glassworks is focused on the medium of stained glass. I named my business after Carol King’s song Home Again off of Tapestry, which is one of my favorite albums. I have mostly been focused on commissions, which are extremely fun because you get to see the customer’s ideas come to light (literally). In the near future, I would like to focus more on my brand and take a step away from doing mostly commissions. My inspiration comes from the 60s/70s, landscape scenery and life in general. I would also like to dabble into restoring antique panels, I have restored one so far.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I would love to be a full-time artist, I guess that’s the dream for everyone. I’d also love to get my foot in the door of a glass shop and eventually start teaching some glass workshops. Life is too short not to do something you love!
Contact Info:
- Email: homeagainglassworks@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homeagain.glassworks/?hl=en
