SELECTED WORK
Fused Glass |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Swirl Series |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Geometric Series |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Woodgrain Series |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Other Jewelry |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
BIO
When I was 8 years old I saw a glassblowing demonstration, and was immediately captivated by the intensity of molten glass. When I moved to Baltimore years later, I was able to begin an apprenticeship with local glassblower Anthony Corradetti. After several years of working at the furnace, I began to realize that the designs I had in mind required a different skill set. While I love the fluid mechanics of glassblowing, it is difficult to create sharp, clean, geometric lines. My frustration led me to the Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, where I began taking classes in glass fusing. The new techniques I learned allowed me to create the kind of patterns I had been seeking, but lacked the flexibility I had grown accustomed to in working with hot glass. Combining both processes gave me the best of both worlds, and my work began to move in a new direction.
I am currently exploring repeating patterns and stylized motifs. I have worked with many of my designs and patterns since childhood, and I am thrilled to reinvent them in glass. Years of making origami and looking at the beautiful papers has inspired my Cherry Blossom series. The Dovetail motif and Woodgrain pattern come from my fathers influence as a cabinet maker. I am also very process inspired, especially for the murrine that make up my jewelry. As I learn a process, I see the way that it can alter a pattern. How it will distort a shape, bend a line, change the perspective. In May I will be doing a residency at The Corning Museum of Glass. I plan to to explore patterns in greater depth on a large scale, and increase my technical understanding of the possibilities of glass.
THE PROCESS
My fused glass work begins with colored sheet glass that is cut into pieces, assembled into my design, and fired in a kiln at about 1500 degrees F. In some pieces I also hand emboss copper foil and encase it between layers of glass. After the initial firing, the glass is heated again at a lower temperature over a mold to give it shape. My jewelry also begins with sheet glass. I cut and assemble it into a block or slab that is designed to be viewed in cross section. I fuse those pieces together to get a solid piece of glass with my design inside. Next I take the block to a glassblowing studio and I heat it up again. There I can use the fluidity of the glassblowing process to manipulate the block in a variety of ways. I can swirl, twist, stretch and fold the glass to alter the pattern inside. After the glass has cooled it can be cut into slices, called murrine, to reveal the cross section. Each murrine is then ground and polished before it is used in jewelry. While the process yields multiple murrine, the pattern varies through each bar, so no two pieces are exactly alike.
CONTACT
To shop, please check out my Etsy site at gaylalee.etsy.com
For other prices and ordering information please email me at : gaylalee@gmail.com
Wholesale inquiries welcome.
My upcoming shows are:
American Craft Council Show, Baltimore
http://public.craftcouncil.org/baltimore/
February 25th - 28th (Feb, 23rd - 24th trade only)
Baltimore Convention Center
Booth # 3704
My work can be found at the following shops and galleries:
Glassmarket at the Corning Museum of Glass
One Museum Way
Corning NY 14830
1-800-723-9156