In the 1960s, a time of cross-pollination in art and science, Austine’s engagement with light and optics was shaped by her discovery of the phenomena of polarized light from her first husband, astronomer and physicist H. John Wood. In 1967, Austine developed a new light-based medium that she called Polage. By collaging clear cellophane between cross-polarizing filters, she began producing full color artworks without using any pigments or dyes.

Selecting for specific wavelengths from the prismatic spectrum of color in natural light produces her color palette. Colors plucked from light are vibrantly alive and will shift and change as the filters rotate or as the viewer moves about, making the perception of the art an active component of the work.

In 1976, Austine and her husband, David Comarow moved to the Las Vegas area. They worked together to establish a long-lasting studio practice and refined her Polage medium and methods of display, leading to many innovations and commissions over the following decades. Their first studio gallery opened in Boulder City, Nevada, in 1985.

That same year, Austine’s eldest daughter, Cara Wood Ginder, began working for Austine Studios as an art assistant, fabricator, and studio manager. This began a longtime artistic partnership with her mother, which grew into full design collaboration in later years.

In 1998, Austine’s younger daughter, Erika Wood, became part of the studio, later focusing on designing hybrid production methods that enabled Polage artworks to be created in carefully controlled multiples, comparable to traditional printmaking.

At that time, Austine Studios entered a long-term relationship with Maui Jim sunglasses, bringing the medium into dialogue with applied optics and polarized-lens technology as they secured an exclusive on Austine Studios artwork in optical boutiques worldwide.

In 2018, Cara accepted the position of full-time lead artist and studio director of Austine Studios. Her daughter, Charlotte Ginder, joined the studio in 2019; the third generation to work in the family business of Polage.

After Austine’s sudden passing in 2020, Cara, Erika, and Charlotte kept up the family legacy as the artists of Austine Studios until it closed in 2025.

Austine’s art is on view in the permanent collections of the Museum of Science, Boston; the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science; and Swarthmore College, among others, appearing in museums, hospitals, public spaces, and private collections around the world.

The nearby Spring Mountains Visitor’s Center, just outside Las Vegas on Mt. Charleston, features a 75-foot-long Polage art mural celebrating the flora and fauna of the desert that inspired so much of her work.

Today Cara and Erika have launched a new collaboration, Lightread Studios, where they continue their work together creating polarized light artworks and commissions.

On exhibit at Sahara West Library, 9600 W Sahara Ave. Las Vegas, Nevada, through May 2, 2026.