What is fused glass? How do you do it? And my most frequently asked question – how long does it take? Fused glass is glass that has been heated to a temperature high enough to melt it in a kiln, so that the layers fuse together. The temperature of the kiln depends on the effect that you want. For a coaster you want a smooth surface to stand your drink on, so it requires a full fuse at around 830’c. For my art work I want the surface to be textured so I use a partial fuse at around 765’c. I say ‘around’ as the temperature is individual to the kiln!

Each of my pictures is a process with lots of different steps in it. The process starts with cutting the base glass to size, then cutting the coloured glass to the required design. In the case of my tree’s the next step is to draw in the trunks and branches, then I use ‘frit’ – basically broken glass that I have cut, smashed and sieved into various sizes – to create the leaves and finishing touches.

How long does it take? Not a clue except that it is time consuming! And expensive as you cannot fuse 2 random pieces of glass together as different glasses expand and contract at different rates – known as the coefficient of expansion or C0E – and 2 pieces of glass with differing COE’s will explode in the kiln. So, we have to use Art glass that is made in Germany or America as we do not produce it in this country.

Please click on the button below to see my commissioned work or get in touch on 07737 015 902 or email glassbylesleyann@gmail.com