Art and Making
Art is one of the ways I process, celebrate, honor, and remember. It sits beside fighting as another major part of my path in the Society for Creative Anachronism. Some pieces are made to mark elevations and vigils. Some are gifts. Some are experiments. Some exist because I needed to make something with my hands and my heart.
Rather than separating every piece by project name, this page presents my work more generally. Some pieces are finished works, some are process images, and some are experiments. Together they reflect the larger creative path that runs alongside my fighting life.
Glass Engraving
A large portion of my artistic work centers on engraved glass. These pieces are often created as gifts for friends, peers, and significant moments in the Society. Some commemorate events, some celebrate achievements, and others exist simply because the act of making them mattered.
Glass allows for fine detail while still creating a piece that feels durable and lasting. Through engraving, designs, symbols, and imagery become a way to mark memories and moments that are meaningful to the people who receive them.
Food, Culture, and Creative Research
Art for me is not limited to visual work. It also includes food history, research, and projects shaped by my interest in Chinese culture. These projects allow me to combine making, learning, and sharing in a way that feels deeply personal.
Some of that work takes the form of classes or documentation. Some of it takes the form of dishes made for events, gatherings, or competitions. All of it is part of the same larger creative path.
Why Art Matters
Art matters to me because it creates connection. It allows me to honor people, to celebrate important moments, to carry memory, and to make beauty out of things that might otherwise pass too quickly.
It is also part of how I stay grounded. Sometimes a project exists because I wanted to make a meaningful gift. Sometimes it exists because making something beautiful was the only way to get through a hard season.
Whatever form it takes, art remains one of the clearest ways I know to leave something tangible behind.
For Sir Mineko
Sir Mineko was my sponsor for the Meridian Rose Tourney in 2025 and someone I deeply admire. She once held the record for the Chivalric Hunt, and her kindness, love of the game, and encouragement to those walking the path have inspired many—myself included.
Before her knighting in Adenveldt this February, I said that if the day ever came, I wanted to make something to honor it. This glass is my small way of saying thank you for the example she sets.
— Song Qingzhao, Meridies ⚔️
For Sir Maisee
Maisee,
At Pennsic, I told you that you inspired me—that I wanted to make a glass for you. I meant it then, and I mean it even more now.
Because what you’ve given isn’t just inspiration from a distance. You showed up when I was standing in that space of doubt, when I wasn’t sure I even wanted to fight again. And you didn’t push—you just talked to me and eased my mind.
That kind of presence changes people.
This glass is a small thing compared to the impact you’ve had, but it’s made with intention—with respect for the fighter you are, and the person you’ve always been. Because this moment, this knighting, isn’t a sudden rise. It’s the recognition of something that’s been true for a long time.
You’ve already been living what it means to be a knight.
Thank you for being someone who reaches back and pulls others forward.
Congratulations, Sir Maisee. This is so deeply deserved.