Types of Glass Art

Stained Glass Art is a form of glass art in which individual pieces of colored glass are cut into shape, then joined together in some manner without the use of heat. To create stained glass art, the artist first creates a pattern outlining the individual pieces of glass. The glass pieces are cut to fit the pattern, then edged with foil, and soldered together. The entire piece is then outlined in zinc or lead came, to give the piece stability and structure. Stained glass art does not require heating the glass and is typically used to make decorative windows, boxes, and sun catchers.

Fusing is the technique of joining two or more pieces of glass by heat in a kiln. Glass is cut and shaped, then assembled into the design. There are different glass fusing techniques. Typically, high temperatures of a kiln (usually between 1300 degrees F – 1500 degrees F) are used to partially melt and connect the glass together. The fused glass process does not normally require heating the glass all the way to the liquid state. In a basic fusing process, the object will start as multiple pieces of cut and shaped glass that bond together as they are heated in the kiln and begin to melt. This will be done on a flat surface in the kiln, producing a fused “blank.” The blank is cooled, then returned to the kiln on top of a mold and heated just enough to allow the glass to sag into the shape of the mold (typically around 1225 degrees F). This process is called “slumping” and results in the shape of the final piece. The fused glass technique can be used to create any number of things: from slumped bowls and platters, to printed imagery, to anything else the mind can conceive and make.

Glassblowing is used to create blown glass art pieces. In this method, the glass is heated to a temperature around 2000°F in a furnace until it melts. The molten glass, which has the consistency of molasses, is then gathered on the end of a hollow blowpipe and the artist blows into the tube, creating a bubble of glass on the end of the pipe. The pliable glass is then shaped by swinging, rolling, or blowing the glass as it slowly cools and solidifies. The blown glass technique is used to create decorative art as well as bowls, goblets, and vases.