Growing up in Washington state, surrounded by majestic oak and pine trees, University of Hawaii at Manoa graduate Dana Brewer developed a love for nature.

In 2011, she first came to the Manoa campus, where she happened on the art of glass blowing at the Department of Art and Art History. It turned out to be the perfect medium for elegant, nature-inspired forms.

For someone who said she was once afraid of heat, even from baking cookies, Brewer has come a long way, becoming transfixed with the magic of molten glass and kilns.

She graduated from UH in May with a bachelor of fine arts degree.

“For me, the easiest way to get lost and found at the same time is in nature,” she said in a news release. “Art is my way to praise nature, to continue the conversation and recognition of the vital connection between an individual and nature.”

Brewer’s sculptures are on display at the Waikiki Parc Gallery. New works continue her “Petrichor” series of glass leaves from the 2016 Bachelor of Fine Arts Exhibition at UH’s The Art Gallery. Her new series, “Ombrophilous 1,” explores the beauty of nature.

Waikiki Parc, the sister hotel of the Halekulani, showcases up-and-coming young artists through a partnership with UH.