When Susan McCracken opened her glass design and production business, she chose the name Architectural Artworks because it embodied her skills, background and the glass pieces she produced. A self-taught illustrator and draftsman, McCracken's natural artistic talent first garnered attention in the early 1980's when she established herself as an architectural renderer. Her drawing ability caught the eye of several studios that subsequently hired McCracken to design stained glass panels for their clients. McCracken was drawn to the work, and soon wanted to not only design the glass panels, but also produce them. To learn proper technique, she apprenticed with several studios in-town and by 1990 McCracken was working exclusively with glass—Architectural Artworks was established! Her background in architecture has positioned McCracken well in her current field since she has a strong understanding of a home's history and style. This knowledge allows her to stay true to the building's structural design while creating complementary new elements for the home. McCracken is known both in Atlanta and nationally for her Arts & Crafts inspired style and original designs. She is also respected in her field for her expertise in glass painting—a skill that has been almost totally lost in the art world. Through the use of glass as canvas, McCracken achieves a level of detail in her work that would not be accomplished with a standard stained glass technique. In 2006, three of her pieces were featured on HGTV's long-running design show Designer's Challenge. Although most of her work is custom-designed to her clients' specific needs, McCracken does create some pieces that she personally finds interesting and offers them for sale in several local galleries. You can also find McCracken exhibiting each year at the Arts & Crafts Conference at The Grove Park Inn. A sought after instructor, she teaches stained glass classes at
Callanwolde
Fine Arts Center and Savannah
College of Art and Design's community education program in
Atlanta. McCracken is an active participant in the Atlanta arts community, and is a founding member of Cabbagetown Clay & Glass Works, a collaborative artist environment that teaches adult and children's crafts in ceramics and fused glass. |
