Darleen Nixon’s Art Glass Creations sell in 50 galleries across U.S.

Darleen Nixon owns Nixon Art Glass, located on Elena Drive, off of Roche Harbor Rd., just north of San Juan Island’s Sportsmans Lake.

Her shop makes a wide variety of beautiful art glass creations, from jewelry to serving ware to home and garden decor.

Darleen has a small creative staff to help her with production, but she does all the torch work, cuts all the glass, and is the main artist who creates all the initial designs.

Nixon Art Glass uses American made glass stock from Portland, Ore., as well as fine glass stock from Murano, Italy.

Darleen moved to San Juan Island 25 years ago, which is about the time she began her career in art glass.  After a successful career in healthcare marketing, she dabbled in weaving and watercolor painting.  But when she discovered art glass in Port Townsend, she was hooked.  

“I probably enjoy it most because my hands, and that flame, and that glass are working together,” she told CNL2 TV in a recorded interview in March.  “And I can see what I’m creating right before my eyes.  I start with a solid, it becomes this liquid glass, and then the finished product, which I put into a kiln to anneal. Yeah, I love it.”

Nixon Art Glass sells its creations in 50 galleries across the U.S., some of which have carried her work for nearly the entire 25 years she has been creating.  She told CNL2 TV that one of the keys to pleasing stores is keeping an inventory on hand to help stores replenish stock promptly upon reordering.

Nixon Art Glass sells its creations online, and at its studio, which is open to the public most Thursdays and Fridays 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Elena Drive is off of Roche Harbor Rd., just south of Duck Soup Restaurant.

In the summer, Nixon Art Glass has a booth in Roche Harbor, in one of the small vendor structures across from the outdoor bakery/coffee bar located between Roche Harbor Grocery Store and the bocce ball court.

Darleen remembers the first Studio tours here — 25 years ago — when there were just nine studios on the tour.  This year, there will be 23.

Darleen is one of 66 artists from the 23 studios who will be on the free, self-guided 2024 San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour, June 1st and 2nd.

This CNL2 TV interview is 21-1/2 minutes in duration.