Raised in South Carolina, Seattle artist Ginny Ruffner received her B.F.A. and M..F.A. degrees from the University of Georgia. She pioneered the artistic use of lamp-worked glass (a glass rod is heated over a torch flame, then delicately shaped with tools). Her method involves sandblasting the annealed glass, a process which creates a pitted surface that can be embellished with drawing and painting. In December 1991, Ms. Ruffner was involved in a near-fatal car accident. After five weeks in a coma, she started a difficult and remarkable recovery that has brought new collaborations and themes to her work.