"YOU are only limited by your budget, time and imagination," glass artist Cindy Poole said.
And stepping into her Esperance studio and gallery only proves that point.
After spending much of her adult life teaching physical education to high school students, Cindy claims to have gone "walkabout" after she took a lead-lighting course in the early 1990s.
The idea took place when her family's dream of building their very own home turned into a reality and she decided she would take responsibility for creating the lead-lighted windows.
Little did Cindy know, she had opened a can of worms and the Section Glass Gallery was born.
Cindy has worked as a self employed professional glass artist since 1995.
Her gallery is now also home to her studio which houses an extensive body of works which incorporate both warm and cold glass techniques.
Cindy's works exhibited in the gallery include kiln-fired glass objects, corporate awards, fused and slumped glass homewares, contemporary designer jewellery, glass mosaics, glass and wrought iron sculptural pieces, giftware, feature glass wall panels and water features.
Private and corporate glass artwork and architectural installations can also be commissioned.
Cindy said she had created a diverse and innovative body of work which culminated from her desire to create glass forms inspired by images that were constantly presented by her environment, relationships and experiences.
The glass was her canvas through which she could bring some of her thoughts and visions into a visual form which could then be shared by others.
She said she was constantly challenged by the manipulation of both warm and cold glass techniques and by incorporating the complementary skills of fellow artisans she had learnt to combine other mediums to create a range of both functional and decorative artworks.
"Often my jewellery has been created as an extension of the images inherent in other artworks," she said.
"Sometimes it's a micro snapshot, sometimes an entire image is captured and quite often it's just a unique form that takes shape from a random vision."
Cindy's creativity and craftsmanship has been recognised at a local, State and national level.
Her talent is represented by a number of galleries throughout Australia and her jewellery can be found in eight high-end galleries throughout Australia.
It's the unique technique Cindy employs which sets her apart from the rest in her field.
Her discovery and application of fusing stainless steel cable to create a permanent fix of the glass to the cable is like none other in the industry.
Unlike traditional glass beads on pieces of jewellery, Cindy creates pieces that are fixed.
There is no channel in which to thread a cord or chain through the beads and each glass piece emerges as a whole identity as it is removed from the depths of the kiln.
"This process has also been incorporated into other sculptures and objects," she said.
"Both coloured and dichroic art glass, glass frit and glass powders have been used to maximise the unique and varied colour effects achieved as a result of layering and combining the glass palette and compatible art glass is used exclusively when combining glasses and each creation is quality assured."
Cindy's business has also evolved over the years as she learned to master the "big equipment" of the trade.
"I just got myself a flat bed diamond grinder and a sand blaster," she laughed.
"So I'm learning to understand the tooling side of the craft a bit more."
Cindy is the first to admit that in the "early days" her work was a lot more craft based but when she returned from a family trip around Australia in 2008 she knew it was time to evolve the business.
She did this by value adding and diversifying her gallery range.
Cindy now stocks a wide range of clothing, crafts and local products which complement her glass jewellery range.
"The clothing range that's in here is quite particular," she said.
"The products either relate back to a personal experience or support other local artists but it mostly complements my glass work.
"For example the clothing range is here because ladies need to have a top or a dress to wear with a specific jewellery piece.
"The business has been incredible over the last two years and that's a product of really investing in some of the tourism marketing in the region.
"Now I can cater for tour buses and I can hold work-based functions and sundowners here.
"I have to be proactive at getting people through my door because I'm not a main street shop front."
So next time you're in Esperance drop by Cindy's Longbottom Lane gallery for a coffee, quick morning tea or light lunch and browse through her beautiful collection.
