Mary Lou Burnside - Artist Statement

My medium is glass, mostly kiln formed glass. My designs in glass are inspired by nature and/or any object that creates a response in me to the colour and texture to what I see. Something that makes me want to express my reaction to it, in glass. My challenge is then to transform cut sheets of glass, glass powder, metal and sometimes other found objects into unique work.

I design and create functional and decorative pieces. I also give into my whimsical side to create garden art and multimedia work.

The process used to create my glass work is called Kiln Formed Glass. First an idea becomes a design, then multiple layers of glass are cut, assembled, sometimes with other elements such as glass powder or glass stringers, glass paint, metal objects, or organic matter such as leaves, and then fused together in a kiln at temperatures up to 1500 oF, annealed for strength, then cooled to room temperature. This often takes more than one firing. It then needs to be cleaned up, this is called Cold Working which can include sandblasting to remove debris or unwanted surface finishes, then grinding or shaping the edges on a wet belt sander to give it a finished look. The work is then placed back into the kiln for slumping into or on a mold to give the piece form, whether a plate, bowl, lampshade or other shape.

Each piece that is finished successfully, leaves me asking “what next”? Do I continue exploring this process or do I experiment with something new. There are so many different processes and methods in creating unlimited different styles of kiln formed glass. I have barely scratched the surface.