Artisan

BY NORA BURBA TRULSSON

>>> Morag Totten, Morag Designs, Park City, Utah

Morag Totten's art dangles in windows like enormous chandelier earrings. Made from vibrantly colored pieces of glass, wire and other elements, these window installations become glass draperies, providing a bit of privacy — but also throwing brilliantly hued splashes of light around a room.

The Park City, Utah–based glass artist credits five years of wandering the globe and a home daycare business with leading her toward her destiny as an artist. "Even though I spent part of my life in accounting, I always knew I would wind up doing something creative," says Totten.

Born and raised in Brisbane, Australia, Totten left home at a young age, learning business and accounting skills through various employers. "I finally went back to school at the age of 24 to get my high school diploma," she explains, "and then, instead of college, I decided to do a five-year walkabout."

And walk about she did, traveling to Southeast Asia, Africa, India, the United Kingdom, Mexico and the United States, soaking up local culture, craftwork and art. Along the way, she financed her traveling with a variety of jobs. "I picked apples in Switzerland and I assisted a diving instructor at the Red Sea," Totten says. "My job was to keep count of the group and make sure that they all came up."

Landing in the United States, she met her husband in Austin, Texas. With the birth of their children, they opted for a small-town, outdoorsy lifestyle and relocated to Park City.

While her children were young, Totten ran a home daycare business so she could stay at home. "I found myself structuring the daycare program around art. It was so interesting to watch children's process in art — there are no boundaries or rules. I also worked alongside them," she says.

Totten's designs allow views to be seen and are often colorized to complement the interior.

Before long, Totten "connected the dots" of her experiences and realized she wanted to become an artist. "My husband once said to me, 'You need to do what you want to do, not what you know,' and I thought he was so right about that," she recalls. Inspired also by artist friends, Totten began exploring various mediums before falling for glass. "It started when I wanted to do something for my own windows. I had mountain views, so I didn't want curtains."

Working out of her home, she began fashioning installations of glass, made from forms cut from 1/8- to 1/4-inch sheets of colored glass. "I draw the designs on paper, then cut the glass," she explains. "Usually I go with organic or geometric shapes, but sometimes I'll do abstracted versions of something like butterflies, for example." Once the designs are done and the forms cut, Totten drills holes in each piece, then fire-polishes them in a kiln in her garage to achieve a desired glaze and softened edges. Once the pieces are cooled, she re-drills the holes ("There's less stress on the glass to pre-drill before firing.") and begins building the installation, using various metal wires and often incorporating found objects or keepsakes along with the glass pieces. The largest piece she's made to date is five feet square.

"Each piece has a hook or a loop, and is usually attached to something like a curtain rod," says Totten, explaining the assembly. "Every piece can also be rearranged. I like to think of the art as interactive." She also points out that maintenance involves a few spritzes of Windex or a dip in a towel-lined bathtub.

Totten often works on a commission basis, collaborating with interior designers or clients directly to either complement interior colors or come up with otherwise pleasing forms and colors. She's done pieces for residential installations, as well as a library, but would like to see her pieces in commercial settings as well. Her fine artwork is available through several local galleries, and Totten has also developed a wholesale line that finds its way into museum stores, galleries and gift boutiques. "In addition to being an artist, I am running a business," she says, "and that's where I'm fortunate to have my accounting background."

Though she has help producing her wholesale line, Totten prefers to work alone on her commissioned and fine artwork. "That's the addiction to this artwork. I get an idea and I have to get it out of my head. Nobody else can do that for me."

Morag Designs, Park City, UT; (435) 655-7746 or www.moragdesigns.com.