Maureen Latiolais is enjoying her second wind. “This is my act two,” she says. “I have always gravitated toward anything creative; I draw, I paint and I make stained glass. For a long time, I couldn’t do this because life intervened, I had other responsibilities. Now, I’ve come back as an artist.”

According to Latiolais, a number of circumstances prevented her from realizing her creative potential for several years. “I had a child with very special needs, he was severe-profound and autistic,”  she said.

“Between raising him as a single parent (his father and I divorced when he was two) and needing to pay the bills, my art was not financially feasible. I became a special education teacher, then worked for the school board for several years,” she added.

Now, her son, Jason Latiolais, is 38 and living in a supported independent living facility. “He’s happy, and feels good about himself, and that’s all that matters, she says.

She has retired from education, and she is free to create to her heart’s content. “I find any kind of creating meditative. Stained glass fascinates me, and I like puzzles. I get to draw the image, and then piece it together artistically,” she says.

Latiolais was introduced to stained glass in high school art classes, and although she majored in Architecture in college, she took fine art electives as well. She eventually would like to incorporate ceramics into her creative routine, but for now it is mostly stained glass. 

Her works, currently at Paul Schexnayer’s A & E Studio + Gallery, are vibrant with color and interesting shapes. The pieces can be representative or abstract.  

A large framed swamp scene with numerous cypress trees (gotta love those cypress knees!) features a sunrise (or it may be a sunset) in a blue and pink sky. 

Her playful turtle in greens and browns swims his way through a serene sea in shades of aqua. 

Her study in blues sits in a wooden pedestal of light blue, its hues as dark as cobalt and as light as the sky.  

This may be Maureen Latiolais’ second act, but her stained glass art is definitely first class.