Julie is a fused glass artist who creates beautiful, food safe artwork for your home

Artist Statement

Fused glass is a wonderful medium. It comes in sheets like windowpanes and can be cut into various shapes and sizes. It can be transparent and opaque. The art pieces can be used as platters for food, trivets for hot dishes, clocks, and for decorative items in your home.

I started fusing glass in 2013. I had done a few stained-glass pieces and was interested to learn about fusing glass. I took only two classes, then I was hooked. Of course, I started out small, but soon I needed my own kiln and a larger space to create my glass pieces. It is fun to learn new techniques and experiment with different products. I can’t believe how many different things can be done with glass.

When I first started, my inspiration was making quilt patterns in glass. The many quilt block patterns that are available are perfect for making 12” x 12” glass platters. Plus, the many different colors of glass really show off the quilt patterns. More recently I have been experimenting with other patterns and techniques.

I’ve attended the Glass, Craft, and Bead Expo in Las Vegas, NV three times and have learned so many new techniques. There are so many amazing vendors that have created paints, tools, and mediums that we can use to embellish our glass pieces.

The glass I use is called System 96. It heats in the kiln to 1450 degrees where it becomes liquid. It then starts to cool down and solidifies before I can remove it from the kiln. When the fusing is complete, it is a flat panel. Then it can be placed on top of a mold where it is reheated and falls into the mold to take on that shape.

Check out my website to see the many fun pieces I have made.