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Biography

Don McKinney was born in Rochester, New York in 1949. He showed an early interest in creative and industrial arts. He experimented for several years in ceramics, lapidary and silversmithing before moving to glass. Like many other glass artists, he began with stained glass about 30 years ago. In 1992, he took a fusing class where the instructor demonstrated some hot glass techniques. Don was hooked! He explored beadmaking and torchwork, finally moving to working solid forms in a table top glory hole.

Don took several glass beadmaking classes and needed a way to anneal his beads. This led him to develop the original Tool Box Annealer. He sold his first annealer in 1994 and has sold many since then. Don retired the original Tool Box Annealer in January of 2008 along with his other long standing product the Studio Series Glory Hole. This table top system along with the Studio Series Crucible Kiln from AIM Kiln, allowed artists to make paperweights, marbles and small vessel forms with a minimal amount of equipment and lower fuel consumption. It also made it possible for the beginner to explore hot glass without the sizable investment of a traditional hot glass studio. Several other glass artists use this system to incorporate their torchwork or fusing into paperweights.

As an artist, Don designed the flip fish bead for incorporation in jewelry. As he demonstrated his techniques at trade shows and local events he discovered yet another love, teaching. As more and more people asked for classes, Don increased his teaching schedule to include various studios around the country as well as trade shows such as Glass Craft Expo in Las Vegas where he tauhgt for ten years. His teaching also expanded to international classes in Dublin, Ireland and Averoy, Norway.

Recently, Don joined Coatings by Sandberg, Inc. manufacturers of dichroic glass. After closing his Glendale, AZ studio, he set up classrooms at CBS in Orange, CA where fusing, lampworking and glassblowing classes take place in February and October each year. Top name teachers are brought in to teach at this state of the art facility. Don continues to teach his classes but now only at Coatings by Sandberg, Inc.

Don lives in Arizona with his wife of 36 years, Jan. We lost both of our cats in 2008. Cheetah was 14 and Angel lived to the grand old age of 20! Our pet quail, Dail, is getting old and gray and will turned 10 years old on May 20, 2010!

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