PASADENA, Calif. — In her more than 30 years as an artist, Anne-Elizabeth Sobieski has created countless masterpieces. 

But nothing has sparked more excitement than the collection she recently created on a series of glass windows, commissioned as a civic work by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture. 

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“I had never painted on glass before but I can use my own drawing underneath as a guide. It’s a really forgiving process,” said Sobieski, demonstrating the process. 

The windows won’t be going up in a museum or gallery. They were specially designed by Sobieski for Fire Station 104, currently under construction in Santa Clarita. 

The theme, of course, was fire.

To create the windows, Sobieski was given the chance to learn a new artistic technique called glass fusing. 

“It’s like putting a puzzle piece together,” Sobieski said arranging fragmented pieces of glass onto a glass base. “And I can look at colors and where I want activity.”

World-renowned Judson Studios of Pasadena taught Sobieski how to use smaller pieces of glass to build the brilliant colors and textures her pen strokes normally create.

“The glass itself is really the star of this work. I was lucky to get to collaborate with Judson," Sobieski said. 

The blank areas are filled in with tiny fragments of glass called frit, which then gets melted and fused together in a kiln. When Sobieski saw the final product she was blown away. 

“It transmits light and has a beautiful color. And in my opinion looks like a Jolly Rancher. It sort of crackles through and lets a lot of the light in,” Sobieski said. 

To develop these designs, Sobieski spent time with the firefighters of Station 104 and got to know the crews. 

The collection includes the station numbers, a great source of pride for the firefighters, and the centerpiece is a giant tree engulfed by flames.  

To each side are examples of the brave efforts of firefighters from the sky and on the ground.

“I said, 'What’s your ideal day as a firefighter?'  And they said, 'Oh, a fire with no structures and no people. We don’t want anyone to get hurt,' but they do like going out there and using all their tools and resources and battling as a team," Sobieski said. 

What they didn’t know is fire has played a central theme in Sobieski's own life. She grew up watching her dad read books by the fire and at age 17, she survived a massive inferno sparked by a Santa Ana windstorm. 

“We all got out. Luckily, we were all safe but our house did burn down to the ground and the firefighters came. They were simultaneously battling a Glendale wildland fire but they broke off a team and saved the rest of our neighborhood from our house which was burning for hours," Sobieski said. 

This collection represents both her own personal sign of gratitude and honors the greater calling of those who serve as firefighters. 

“Such an earnest group of people who devote themselves passionately to protecting communities and our state," Sobieski said. 

A glowing tribute soon to be installed at Station 104 marking the sacrifices of all of L.A.'s bravest.