Fusing glass to create works of art is much like other types of artistic creation, according to Michele Gould, of Purple Cloud Studio, in Land O’ Lakes.
“Every glass artist, like every painter, has his own vision,” said Gould, who recently taught a free two-hour Fused Glass 101 class at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, at 2818 Collier Parkway.
Before the class began, Gould cut big flat sheets of art glass into various shapes and sizes.
“I have every color of the visible light spectrum in glass that you can imagine,” Gould said, adding, “everyone picks their own color scheme.”
She also gives each student a clear piece of glass, which serves as a clear glass canvas.
“I set them free with the glass. Everybody does their little thing,” Gould said.
Next, the students use tiny bits of glue to attach whatever pattern they’ve created onto the clear blank glass.
After the art works dry, Gould takes each of them back to her studio to fire them in a kiln.
While she’s teaching the class, she offers tutorials about art glass and about safety.
She also shows the students samples of completed works, to show them what happens to the art glass, as its fired in a kiln.
What begins as raw, sharp glass, gets soft and loses it edge, she explained.
They also can see that the pieces of glass she uses are compatible, meaning that they shrink and expand at essentially the same rate. If they weren’t, the fused glass could pop or break apart later, she said.
Pieces of different colored art glass can be layered or stacked, but the colors won’t blend when the pieces are fired, she said.
“They’re layered, but they retain their original color. If I stack a red and a blue, I’m not going to get purple. They don’t mix at all. They just do their thing. What you see is what you get,” Gould said.
She showed students an example, to let them see how the colors come out.
She also tells students about cathedral glass and opal glass.
Cathedrals, like a church, let the light come through, she said. Opals are more opaque.
Gould loves working with glass.
“There’s tons of different things you can make with fused glass.
“People do all sorts of stuff with art glass — from sinks in your bathroom to lamps and lighting. It’s really kind of cool. I cut it into pieces. I make bowls. I make jewelry.”
Gould believes that a free class, like the one she taught, might encourage someone to take a chance at self-expression.
“I have people say, ‘I’m not artistic,’” Gould said. But, she doesn’t believe it.
“That’s part of your human experience, and your creative spirit is there,” she said.
“Maybe you wouldn’t do this normally, but if it were free, maybe you’d take a chance on it. Maybe you’d find something new out about yourself.”
To learn more about Gould and her work, visit Michele Gould @Purple Cloud Studio on Facebook.
Published September 13, 2017