Dori Settles was born in southeastern Wisconsin and raised her family in eastern Nebraska where she worked as a sign language interpreter for several years before discovering the medium of glass. Settles moved to North Carolina with her husband and two dogs in 2021, after discovering a glass studio nestled in the forest near Penland.

After discovering glass in 2010 while taking lampworking workshops, I have been enamored with its properties – hot and cold, opaque and translucent, soft and hard. My current work explores both nature and texture.

In 2021, I embarked on a new project, a series of glass shoes, Shoes as Storytellers, which continues today. You can learn more about the project and see the shoes and the stories on my website.