about the artist
Years in the glass business have given Jane a great appreciation for this wonderful and infinitely renewable material. However, she has also developed a great frustration about the limitations of glass recycling in her Northern Minnesota community. Shipping glass any distance would be costly and defeat the goal of being green. Still, the fact that it takes glass a million years to naturally break down bothers her to no end.
Jane often tried to save imperfect pieces of tempered glass at the auto-glass shop where she works. Unfortunately, these pieces can't be cut down and usually end up in the trash. One day, Jane was moving a large piece of safety glass that she had rescued from the trash pile, and she bumped into a sharp object. The glass broke into a million little pieces—just as tempered glass is supposed to. Jane was so mad at herself because now it would have to be thrown away. When she returned from retrieving a broom and dustpan from the other room, she was captivated by the sunlight streaming through the window and dancing off the pile of broken glass. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Jane thought, "This is just too pretty to waste on the landfill. I have to do something with it." It is safe to handle, so she scooped up a handful, put it in a vase, and set it in the window. It was lovely. Soon, she figured out a way to clean it, sort out any sharp slivers, and color it. A world of possibilities opened up, and Jane was no longer mad at herself. She was inspired! From that point, Jane began to create unique glass-on-glass mosaics using this beautiful material and other scrap items from around the shop. Now, she incorporates other discarded objects into her work and constantly strives to be as environmentally friendly as possible in her process. Because the light playing on this broken but beautiful medium often sparks creativity, Jane makes glass fill available for everyone to use in their own creations and décor ideas. Jane Marks-Hastig Green-minded artist specializing in upcycling reclaimed glass |  Accidental Beauty: When artist Jane Marks-Hastig accidentally shattered tempered safety glass and swept up the broken pieces, the sunlight streaming through the window sparked a new idea about how to save this material from being dumped in the ugly landfill.  Jane Marks-Hastig's green janie products are made of upcycled reclaimed glass. These repurposed wine bottles used as pastry rollers make a beautiful and functional addition to any home. |
