Adventurer and Creator
Intrigued by how light flows through glass and its translucent beauty for as long as she can remember, Christine Urban began playing with glass in 2006 after learning lampworking techniques from Carmen D’Aquilla at Northwest Art Glass in Redmond, Washington.
Raised in the rural Midwest north of Chicago, Christine has always been a lover of the outdoors and an adventurous spirit, creatively incorporating her found objects and natural inspirations into new works of wearable art and fashion. Her outdoor passions include open water swimming, riding her bike on long treks, hiking in the Pacific Northwest, edible gardening, and running.
Family Life
Christine loves spending time with her family indoors and out and encourages being active and getting fresh air! Her family enjoys camping, cheering on the Seahawks, skiing and snowboarding and raising their small flock of backyard chickens. She also enjoys designing websites, writing, reading, and cooking.
Local Inspiration
A Seattle area resident for over 17 years, Christine finds inspiration for her glass designs from the numerous gorgeous blue-green waterways and lakes in the region, including glacier-fed high mountain lakes and the Puget Sound—and the marine life that inhabits them. From tenacious octopus tentacles and spiny starfish to sparkling rainbow trout and majestic mountain views to old sea captains and weather-worn ship instruments—the watery depths and surrounding scenery inspire her creations.
Island Inspiration
Being on the West Coast enabled Christine to travel to Hawaii, a long-dreamed of destination that was always too far away when in the Midwest. After visiting the islands, she realized that her love was the garden island of Kauai.
When she arrives on Kauai, “It feels like I’ve come home. It feels as though I belong here. There is a certain centeredness and inner calm that I experience being on this island. I have the utmost respect for the beauty and people of this sacred place. The incredible ocean, sky, and sea life colors, as well as the sand and fauna and flora deeply inspire me to imagine and create beautiful items that reflect my personal experience of Kauai.”
Love of Mythology
Two years of high school Latin and Christine was hooked and inspired to a lifelong love of mythological creatures and Greek gods and of Italy. Christine imagines what it would be like to be a mermaid playfully gliding under our blues seas in search of treasures, trinkets and baubles made from the natural underwater world or fallen from sunken ships.