galadriel glassworks
bringing fairytales to life
Whimsical stained glass inspired by imagination, daydreams and the fantastical, by Dutch Norwegian native Anna Fredriksen.
Anna’s memories growing up in the Netherlands fuel her dreamy and romantic style. She details walks in the woods with her family, exploring forests and hiking trails and her parents fostering imagination among her and all of her siblings.
“We grew up poor but it never felt that way with all of the love,’’’ Anna explains. “We all had to have an imagination and we made something of anything we had and we made it beautiful.”
They collected moss, twigs and mushrooms and built gnomes and fairy homes. She treasures these fond memories that are true to the uniqueness of Dutch culture.
Now based in Zion National Park, Utah, Anna started creating glass 5 years ago, after her mother gifted her a stained glass making class for Christmas. “As soon as my hands touched glass I knew this was me,” she smiles. Previously a full-time waitress serving tourists hiking around Utah, Anna started making glass fulltime in the spring of 2020 after 2 different layoffs at work. She then created her Instagram account and started to build a following, selling primarily through the popular social media platform.
Gorgeous Utah landscapes provide a pretty perfect background for Anna’s work.
brought to you by..
Alice and Wonderland
The Lord of the Rings
Neil Gaiman, author of Stardust
Jane Austen, and an appreciation for classic literature
The very name of Anna’s brand, Galadriel, is an ode to the ethereal elf in the Lord of the Rings.
Reading is a source of inspiration for her, and like glass making, serves as an escape and a way of connecting to her truest self.
Suddenly Anna will be reading and she’ll have new ideas for her glass. “I need to write this down. I need to create this,” she’ll think with urgency.
“I’m convinced there’s a strong correlation between glass people and plant people.”
Anna’s signature Monstera leaves are one of her most popular items. She often incorporates her love for plants and greenery into her work.
In her Utah home, she cares for over 100 plants, and her newly adopted cat, Guinevere.
Other than making glass, Anna is in the business of making people happy. “I love being kind to people who might not expect it,” she says, referring to her time as a waitress and a teacher (she has a Masters of Education degree.) Spreading happiness and making glass is her legacy and footprint on the world.
“I’ve always tried to make things pretty. There’s a word in Dutch that means cozy and comes with warm feelings and love and snuggling up on a couch with somebody and playing games at the table. But my mom imparted it on all of us kids. Wherever I move into a corner or a place I make it my own and everyone can see my mark.”
Anna’s plans for her future are just like her art- one of a kind, unconventional and an authentic depiction of her artistry. She envisions a brick and mortar stained glass store, complete with botanical plants and animals free roaming, serving as a pet sanctuary. She imagines it would be like art therapy.
For now, she’ll continue to enjoy her hard-earned success. “I still can’t believe that people are buying from me consistently,” she confesses. “I’m incredibly proud and grateful.”
Follow Galadriel Glass for more gorgeous stained glass art and new releases from Anna Fredriksen.