LYNN — In a sunlit studio perched above windswept hills, an artist moves with quiet precision, her hands shaping fragile glass fragments into delicate works of art. Dr. Eleanor Ruth Fisher explained her process through the small, exacting steps that make each piece unique. She trims edges, softens points, and balances shards with care.
“Soft and pointed,” she said as she held a freshly carved piece of glass.
“So, then I say, ‘I would like to have it come out here,’” she stated as she moved a carved piece of glass around her newest art project. “That works. Yeah, I like that. You see? This is what I do all day long.”
“I hear I am complete,” Fisher explained when she decided a piece was finished.
Her husband, Dennis Treece, then polishes it as a final touch.
“I put a liquid polymer resin on the finished product to lock it all in,” Treece explained. “You could throw it out of a truck and it wouldn’t (break),” he joked.
But the glass itself is only part of the story. Her artistic path is rooted in a profound personal experience: a near-death encounter following brain surgery in 1991.
“I had an out-of-body experience, and my parents came to me and said, (it) wasn’t my time… And so my spirit guides came through and said, ‘You will not die, but the price you will have to pay, you will have to learn to paint,’” she recalls.
Within weeks, she was back in her office as a psychotherapist, guided by a singular word that appeared repeatedly in her mind: “paint.” She bought the largest canvases she could find and began teaching herself to sketch and then paint, capturing the world she saw around her. “I was looking at the garden, took some pictures, and taught myself how to sketch and then paint,” she said.
That moment marked the start of a lifelong dedication to both art and introspection.
Her work as a therapist did not halt. In fact, when asked if her experience with art has changed how she approaches the human mind, she answered, “I use this expression, and I talk about it all the time: You can do much more than you think you can do.”
Spirituality and creativity became inseparable, creating space for experiences that shaped not only her work but her worldview. “… it allowed me to open up more,” she reflects. “I’ve always been guided… two phrases…that always came through: You’ll be okay. And just wait.”
The guidance she received encouraged her to move forward with confidence, even in moments of doubt.
Her philosophy extends far beyond her studio. She teaches that self-approval and patience are essential to any creative life.
“Self-nurture is so important and self approval,” Fisher began, “Knock it off. (There are) No mistakes, you are learning. Do you want to call yourself a learner or a mistake maker? Whatever you choose, it’s your life. Do it.”
She speaks of cultivating safety and encouraging others to find the same freedom.
“There’s so much bad going on with bad people. But I want to create beauty… And I’ve gotten rid of negative people in my life. I had to do that.”
Her work, she explains, is meant to be inviting. She does not believe in criticism as a destructive force but in curiosity and engagement.
“I want to know. I don’t believe in criticism. Criticism is often negative.” She expressed.
She instead believes in understanding. “What made you do that? What made you think of that?” she stated.
Fisher wants viewers to enter her art and reflect, to be inspired to create and approve of themselves in the process. “Each one is a place of safety… To be invited in, and to walk around and be refreshed, you know that you’re gonna come back.”
Even the physical space of her studio mirrors these values. Sunlight streams across organized trays of glass, shells, and tools.
Fisher’s 2024 book, “The Zen of Glass Shard Painting,” serves as both a memoir of her creative evolution and a tribute to the spirit guides who populate her dreams. The narrative extends beyond the studio, however, incorporating the voices of her collectors to illustrate the enduring emotional impact of her work.
Her own home is the gallery that holds all her pieces and where she showcases them to people from the outside. The expansive view of the sand and waves provides a quiet perspective.
“I feel so safe here. And this is my little safe space, and I can do it by myself, without anybody telling me, at this time, in my studio, it’s wrong,” she said.
The environment nurtures her creativity, allowing her to focus on the balance between discipline and intuition that defines her process.
Her journey — from spiritual awakening to mastering both paint and glass — is also one of legacy. She hopes her art will not only reflect her vision but also inspire others to trust their creativity.
“I would like… to be known. I would like to be famous, not because of my artwork… but I would like so much to be able to talk to people about their own creativity…” Fisher stated. “ If you could do what you want to create (that) makes you happy, that’s what I would like to do. That’s why I’d like to be known.”
At nearly 90, she continues to create with the same patience, courage, and curiosity that have guided her entire life. “I intend to show up, live at least another 20 years, with all my marbles. Also, I have so much to do,” she said with a smile.
For her, each piece of glass, each brushstroke, and each moment of reflection is a reminder that life, like art, is about persistence, self-trust, and the courage to see beauty in the world and in oneself.
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
Photo: Spenser Hasak | Purchase this photo
