Wall Mosaic
After installing granite counter tops, I felt that I needed to "jazz up" the walls of my kitchen. After designing and installing some fused glass "borders" around the sink area, I decided to create a large composition on the wall. I love organic line and flowers with bright colors, so that was my only inspiration as I began to work. I used two different hues of "vanilla" glass for the background… the pieces vary in size, but include a large "wave" traveling from the upper left corner to the flowers at the lower right. Three small flowers on the left side are comprised of fused glass elements and add dimension to balance out the "visual weight" of the huge foliage at the right, which is the focal point of the work. (and the most challenging part). While the light green glass is part of the base mosaic, the rest of that section is a single piece of fused glass. The difficult part was cutting this to accomdate the electrical plug and two switches that are located on that wall…. VERY careful inside cuts combined with much filing by hand resulted in a "perfect fit". This glass is actually held to the wall by the screws that attach the electrical devices, making the "glass plate" completely removeable in the event that electrical work needs to be performed. Anchoring the composition is the large area of small brown rectangles; the dark color draws the eye of the viewer in, while the columns of glass add verticality to an otherwise horizontal design.
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The mainstay of my shop is fused glass creations…. this can be a stand alone piece of glass, a mixed media composition (sculptural or wall-hung), or a functional piece of work (light fixtures, plates/trays/bowls,inserts for doors or cabinets, etc).
I most enjoy making custom pieces for folks… Because I am intuitive, after a short conversation I am able to "get that person" and design a piece that is "theirs".
While many glass artists began with stained glass and later transitioned to fused work, I have 20 years experience working in fused glass. I prefer fused glass for the following reasons:
- it is STRONGER than stained glass. Art glass is 1/8" thick; a stained glass pieces consists of a lot of 1/8" pieces of glass soldered together… which means that it is thin and with all of those joints, it has the potential to come apart.
Fused glass, on the other hand, is a SINGLE piece of glass; while an individual composition is comprised of as many (or more) pieces than a stained glass piece, everything is assembled in the kiln and fired into a single, final piece. Additionally, fused glass can be made as thick as you want…so, depending on the application, multiple layers of glass can be fused together (think "glass sink"). Really thick pieces are more expensive to produce because the firing process (bringing the heat up, ramping it down, and annealing) takes far longer - it is not uncommon for a firing process to take 20+ hours with a thick/large piece of glass.
Stained glass pieces have distracting solder lines which can detract from the overall design composition - fused glass has none of these distractions!
With fused glass, you have a larger "palette" to work from. You can "make your own glass" by pre-firing different glass together (to make polka dot glass, for example) and then cut it up for your design.. glass can be fired over and over in most instances.
All of my designs are from my own original drawings; if you have something specific in mind, I would be happy to work with you to create a working drawing for a project.
Technical excellence is evident throughout my pieces; I am a perfectionist when it comes to my work, and am willing to do "whatever it takes" to have a design materialize into the physical.
- BA
Barbara Austin
For Snake pit logo Project5.0Karla is a gifted artist- she was able to take an idea and create a stunning piece of art. Karla dedication and focus to detail ensured this piece was done perfect! Highly recommend Karla's beautiful work!
- BB
Bradley Barrios
For Bradley's Outdoor Installation5.0I enjoyed the whole process of working with Karla Ely. She kept me up to date on progress and consulted with me on decisions. I am thrilled with
the final outcome and look forward to working with Karla again. - RH
Rich Hoftiezer
For Rich Hoftiezer's 2 dimensional stained glass piece5.0I started with an idea; Karla turned it into a work of art. I cannot adequately express how pleased I am with the end result. The quality is unsurpassed, and the workmanship is flawless. Her professionalism, imagination and skills made this a thoroughly enjoyable and learning experience. From concept to completion, Karla kept me apprised of every facet of the project, providing frequent communication, explanations of the processes and pictures of the piece.
If you would like to see an idea come to life, ask to see her Creation Story of what became affectionately known as "Mr Penguin".
With my deepest thanks and admiration,
Rich H
- KR
KEN REINHARDT
For "Feng Shui Goddess" - Health & Family - Fused Glass Sculpture5.0What a fantastic person to work with! I'm really impressed with her and her work. Thank you
- PB
Pamela Buckhave
For Custom Fused Glass Pet Portrait Nightlight -5.0Karla was so personable and caring. We had lost our dog after 15 wonderful years, to have this beautiful piece of art of him is beyond meaningful. Karla even used some fur of our beloved baby making this art piece so meaningful to us. I can’t thank Karla enough??
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