Artist Statement

One could say that I have a split artistic personality because I like to design with semi-precious gemstones and also fuse art glass. Let me explain my dilemma. There is a certain presence about gemstones, and some believe that they possess healing properties. When held in the hand or against the body, gemstones take on the warmth of the wearer. The minerals and elements within gemstones create unique colors and patterns that are difficult to reproduce. In Bill Atkinson’s book, Within the Stone, he has taken micro-scale photographs of different stones which give images that are other worldly or that look like landscapes, waterfalls, frosted peaks, and scenes familiar to one’s eye. One just can’t beat Mother Nature’s artistic designs.

Fusing art glass provides me with the freedom to experiment and manipulate glass by color, texture, shape, and how a piece will be used, be it a functional serving plate, platter, bowl or a decorative piece of art. Whereby I enjoy working with gemstones, fusing art glass has opened many more doors to my creativity. Finding ways to bring the two mediums together by making handmade gemstone and art glass jewelry as well as decorative art glass pieces has been stimulating and just plain fun.

Art glass fusion is complex, and contains a level of surprise from beginning the initial layout to the end product of a fused piece. Art glass comes in a variety of colors and patterns. Dichroic and iridescent art glass have special coatings that will change color and appearance depending upon the angle from which seen. Colors can change during firing because of chemical reactions. Fusing results will differ depending on firing temperatures: low heats provide more texture, while high heats smooth or round out the surface. If the art glass is fired too fast or cooled too quickly, the glass may break or crack into pieces. Once fired, pieces can be slumped into molds to yield specific shapes or can be free form based on design. There are infinite possibilities when fusing with art glass that can be very exciting and challenging.

Magic is the only way to describe what it’s like for me to fuse art glass. When a glass piece goes into the kiln for firing, its appearance is how it was assembled. But….after firing and opening the kiln, the kiln gods have given a gift which may or may not bring forth an “Ahhhh!”