Fused Glass Process:
Fused Glass pieces are created by cutting, designing and fusing(melting) stained glass. I begin with sheets of glass and an idea. The glass is then cut to shape and placed together on another piece of glass – possibly more than 2 layers. The glass is then fired to a high temperature (1200-1450 degrees) in a kiln. This process fuses the pieces of glass into one integrated glass art item.
The color and characteristics of each piece of glass is used to create the desired pattern. The glass that has the intense reflected colors is Dichro glass. Dichroic glass was originally developed by NASA and its contractors for use in satellite optics and spacesuit visors. I use Dichro glass primarily in jewelry for fantastic color effects. In functional and display pieces I use transparent and opaque glass to create the desired effect. Primarily I use more of the transparent glass to create pieces that transmit light.
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