Newsletter: Winter 2017

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Can you recognize good craftsmanship?

What should you look for when adding art glass to your collection or in judging your own work?
"Art" seems to be, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder, but you can tell if glass is well-crafted. I interviewed several glass-art makers to compile this list of what shows mastery of materials and techniques in the various areas of glass-working (photos are used with permission from local artists, most of whom teach if you want to increase your own mastery)
In all types of work:
  • Achieving symmetry and straight lines takes practice in all glass work. When something looks asymmetric or misaligned it should be evident that this is by controlled choice and not just sloppy work.
  • The colors chosen should assist the overall flow of the design rather than looking random. That you don't like the color scheme doesn't mean it isn't well-crafted. Color perception is complex (look it up for some fascinating reading).
Controlled asymmetry:
Hot glass: Blown, Cast and Torchworked
  • Attachment marks from tools used in blowing or manipulating the glass (punty marks and other blemishes) are minimized, hidden with a maker's mark or removed. The mandrel attachment on beads should leave  "puckered ends" i.e. rounded rather than sharp.
  • Consistent thickness and as light weight as possible for the design without being too fragile
  • Complex inclusions such as millifiore, controlled bubbles, twisted ribbons and the like are all signs of an expert at work.  
  • As is complex shaping, multiple textures and surface ornamentation
David Smith, Blowing Sands:
Light weight without being fragile
Chris Heilman:
Complex inclusions
Warm glass: Fusing, slumping, kiln casting
  • Control of bubbles. Fused glass will have bubbles but they should be small and dispersed (you need the full melt temperatures of a glory hole or bead torch to get rid of them).
  • Control of volume:  glass, like water, tends to bead up due to surface tension. This results in a 6mm thick rounded blob if you take it hot enough to fully soften and don't constrain it with a mold. The artist can use this to advantage or be confounded by it: a too thin area of the piece will pull in and thicken along the edges ("dog bone") and a too thick one will spread. For examples of what can go wrong see Spectrum Glass's VolumeControl.pdf and Bullseye Glass's technotes_05.pdf
  • Controlled shaping often requires hours of mold-making and experimentation
  • "Cold work" like polishing, cutting, sandblasting, etc. should be done as needed or designed around. Some of this work requires a major investment in space and equipment. If the artist doesn't have the equipment have they made lack of finishing look like an intentional part of the piece?
  • Going beyond shiny: Using more than one texture in the same piece requires knowing your kiln quite well or doing cold work after fusing.
  • Lack of devitrification (the formation of small white crystals, usually looking like a powder on the surface). Removing it adds another step or two.
  • Painting with either frit or enamels has all the learning curves of glass plus those of painting.
Peter McGrain, "The Bench",
Vitri-Fusaille, copyright©2011
Peter McGrain Glass Painting
Steph Mader, Ocotillos,
layered glass particle painting
Beth Anderson Jellyfish:
texture and shaping
Michael Dupille, fused Big Jay Feathers
(20"x42") shaping, texture
and painting with frit
Flat glass: Certain shapes like deep V's, extremely long narrow strips, and narrow hourglass-like pieces are prone to breakage even if modern machinery lets you cut them. That's why you often see what seem to be "extra" construction lines in a stained glass piece. A well thought out design deals gracefully with these necessary lines. 

The expert also chooses glass transparency/opacity well for its placement: transparent glass (called "cathedral") looks dark in a mosaic table but stunning in a south window during the day. Opaque ("opalescent" or "opal") or semi-opaque glass ("wispy" or "streaky") will look darker with the sun coming through but much more colorful than transparent when the sun isn't behind it.
            Lead and copper foil:
  • Design includes proper reinforcement so the window doesn't fold or bow. You certainly shouldn't see cracks at the solder joints. You often won't be able to see the steel reinforcement because it's hidden inside the lead came or the soldered copper-foil lines so ask what was done.
  • Pieces are in-plane, not standing proud
  • Solder should be even and smooth. This is more difficult with non-leaded solder which is one reason some artists still use leaded solder. Unlike lead paint, lead in intact windows doesn't shed and contaminate your living space (especially if covered in car wax or patina) but wash your hands after handling it. 
Construction lines disguised:
Karen Seymour, Red Crowned Crane table
Kathy Johnson, Tropical Birds window
        Mosaic & Applique:
  • No sharp edges within touch so no one gets cut: either the edges of the glass pieces are level with the grout or they are ground or tumbled smooth
  • Grout where it's supposed to be and not elsewhere.
  • Consistent line thickness unless the variation is intentional
  • Mosaic pieces line up properly to give a crisp outline.
  • Variations in glass opacity and surface texture are used to enhance the design.

Cold work: grinding, etching, sandblasting, carving
  • crisp edges, consistent matte areas
  • well thought out transitions
  • multiple depths are controlled and look intentional
It takes years to master any craft. When you purchase (or sell) a piece of expertly made glass art the price should cover the time and materials in that one piece plus some payment for the time and effort and all the failures involved in learning the craft. The proper answer to "How long did it take to make that" is "All my life".

There are many more talented local artists working in glass, these are just the ones I know who also had time to supply an image. Many thanks to all those who gave input, especially Lael Bennett, Kathy Johnson, Steph Mader, Barbara Sanderson, and Sandy Spear.
Karen Seymour, Editor
Seattle Mosaic Arts: crisp outlines
Covenant Art Glass:
cold work with multiple depths

What's New?

Patty Roberts works in Pate de Verre, an involved process of making one-use molds for a paste of glass. She sometimes adds other things like in this Red Bowl with Metal Rings
Karen Seymour's Snow Melt lampshade
is part of  a series inspired by
nature's transitions and transformations
Lael Smidt Bennett has been experimenting with reactive glass and silver foil

How'd They Do That?
Poul Erickson's kiln-cast horse started as a carving in an oil based clay (photo 1). He covered it with Castalot to make a mold (2). The carving was removed from the mold (3). The empty mold was fired to 50 degrees over casting temp, cooled, filled with amber glass (4) and fired again (5)
The finished piece on a custom stand.
See more from Poul and Aiko at Wish Poosh Design

 Announcements & Events

Good news from suppliers:
Bullseye Glass has much of the new EPA gear in place and expects to be back in full production soon. Oceanside Glass Tile is "currently in the process of moving all Spectrum and Uroboros Equipment from the Northwest down to our art glass facility and getting it set up. We’ve had the good fortune of bringing on a number of Spectrum and Uroboros employees to help us with the transition and anticipate that we will have glass flowing through our line in late April" according to their spokesperson Stephanie Leilani Duerden.

Glass events are pretty quiet so it might be a good time to take a class or come up with some new designs and send us photos for our next issue (friendsinglass you-know-what gmail.com).
You will find local glass artists at: You might want to plan now for classes at: And you will find glass donated for auction at Schack's H'arts fundraiser, Everett, Feb. 25th

The next newsletter and a different coupon will be mailed in March.
In the meantime you can post your comments, new work etc. to our moderated Facebook page

Friends In Glass Winter 2017 Coupon:
Romance with Glass
Expires February 17th, 2017
10% off of full retail price of in-stock art glass or glass art *
with a $25 minimum purchase
at any of these participating glass shops and galleries:
(*subject to the fine print on the actual coupon)
Schack Art Center, Everett WA
Covenant Art Glass, Everett WA
Glass Expressions, Burien WA
Olympic Color Rods, Seattle WA
NW Art Glass, Redmond WA
Bullseye Glass Resource Center, Portland OR
Roses Glassworks, Portland OR
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Dehanna Jones
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