Not having the ability to 'draw' like an artist, it's important to learn other tricks - in this case using mother nature's bounty of Alaskan yellow cedar boughs, deer fern, blueberry branches and other assorted flora from just outside the glass studio.

The flora are used either to create a 'reverse embossed' image - by laying the plant material on sheet glass and sifting glass powder over the plant then removing the leaf or frond, or making a 'fossil image' by sifting the glass powder over a leaf, placing it on the kiln shelf and layering sheet glass over that.  Once processed in the kiln, the glass powders become part of the piece and is as durable as the sheet glass.  It will scratch as glass does, but will not fade, rub off or otherwise disappear - you've got a permanent piece of Alaska's rainforest!