Sharon Marchant has been beading for more than 30 years – mastering a variety of beading techniques in that time.
She was initially inspired by the intricate and colorful twists and turns of an early 20th century bead she had in her possession. Her first creations in the 1980’s focused on trade beads, cameos and antique and vintage jewelry.
Living in Alaska at that time, she was mentored by indigenous friends. Besides teaching her their beading skills and traditions, they also shared ways to utilize naturally available materials. She now returns to Tatitlek, Alaska every May to teach beading skills and related history to school children as well as elders to help them preserve their cultural heritage.
Sharon keeps busy with her bead store in Oracle, Arizona. She creates original designs and shares these with her large following of students in nearby communities. In the glass studio, she works on designing unique fused glass beads and cabochons.
Sharon has received many awards for her original designs and has had her work featured in several publications.
Larry Marchant was born in Minnesota and raised in Oregon. He spent an early tour in the Navy and moved to Alaska where he raised his family of 7 children and was widowed.
Larry and Sharon married and thus began his exposure to the arts. Together, they continued to raise and love their large, combined families while finishing their careers in the oil industry.
After retiring in 2006, Larry and Sharon took fused glass classes – including several at the internationally acclaimed Glass and Craft Expos held annually in Las Vegas. It just so happened that Larry worked as a glazier for a window company after leaving the Navy, becoming very skilled at glass cutting. He found this skill served him well when creating his glass art.
The two of them continued to expand on their glass art to the point they felt a need for their own kiln and ended up building a glass studio with two kilns in their Oracle studio.