Stained glass a gas for this artist

Nov. 5 at the community's Timber Creek Lodge.

Desin, a former resident of Los Gatos, moved to Sun City about 3½ years ago.

"I came here for a change of pace, for the adventure," she said of the move from the cooler climes of the Bay Area to the hot Sacramento Valley.

A former associate real estate broker, Desin admits she still hasn't adjusted to the torrid weather in the Sacramento Valley, so she stays indoors during the hottest part of the day.

Desin discovered the art medium of stained glass "by accident." Shortly after arriving in Sun City, she visited the lodge.

"I just happened to walk into a class; a glass class," she recalls.

She was invited to stay and her artistic appetite was whetted by not only a new challenge, but by the people in the class.

"They are so good at sharing," Desin said of her co-hobbyists.

Desin has worked in various art mediums before, from oil painting to wood carving, and liked the challenge of something new.

"I think, 'What can I do next that I haven't done before,'" she said.

The nine-member group of stained glass enthusiasts ranges from experts to new hobbyists, all willing to share techniques and knowledge. Much of the basic instruction is done by Shirley Moe, while some of the more advanced instruction is done by Carole Madrid and Ann Dell'Ara.

Madrid does some large window projects, while Dell'Ara uses a fusing technique to meld a piece of glass into a larger piece.

Desin spends countless hours at her hobby.

"I've got four (pieces) started, none of them finished," she said.