Six years ago I took a stained glass class
and one thing led to another and another. Before long I was obsessed with
glass. The richness and variety of colors and combinations are endless.
I can spend literally hours at a time cutting, shaping, layering and planning various
projects. Fusing glass allows me more freedom than working in stained glass.
There is a certain element of excitement each time I lift the kiln lid and see how
things have turned out. The pieces do not always come out as expected; sometimes
they turn out even better than planned. It is always fun. Hopefully
you will enjoy the pieces as much as I do.
Glass is considered a liquid and that is what allows it to melt and fuse in the
kilns. Each piece of glass is hand cut then thoroughly cleaned before placing them
in the kiln. Two or more layers are used and in some instances small shards
or bits are added to create depth and interest. The temperature is raised
up to 1500 degrees or less depending on the effect that is desired. If a flat
piece is the goal the project is completed. However if a bowl or platter is
the goal it is back to the kiln in a mold and fired up to melt the glass again to
reach the desired shape. Projects may take up to 36 hours to finish as the
larger the piece the slower the temperature changes can take place. There is an
art and science to the heating and cooling or the glass will shatter or fog up in
the kiln. Learning this process is never ending.