Sculptural fused glass wave piece - "Crescendo" was inspired by daily walks on the Central California coast. The multitude of rock formations meet with incoming waves in an energetic way. The glass in this piece is multi-layered and was fired four times to achieve the dimensional look. Glass is approximately 3/8" thick and supported by a steel base that sits atop a granite base (the color of the stone mimics the color of the beach) Dimensions are: 16.125" w x 22"h x 5.5"d The glass sits easily into the display stand, so can be packed separately to avoid breakage. The piece is complete and ready for immediate shipping; it is one-of-a-kind.
A Maker who has been a valued part of this community for several years.
Customers say that this Maker ships promptly after completing a project.
This Maker has consistently demonstrated excellence in craftsmanship and customer service.
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:
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.
Bob
For christmas ornamentKarla was extraordinary in the entire process. She kept up the lines of communication constantly, and always had very interesting ideas on how to go about such an elaborate piece of work. Even when a couple snags came to pass, she handled them wonderfully! And the finished piece? Not only did I love it, but the one who received it went out of control nuts! She is still talking about it and said after the Christmas season is done, and the tree comes down, she is going to hang it at her office. Job well done!
KEN REINHARDT
For "Feng Shui Goddess" - Health & Family - Fused Glass SculptureWhat a fantastic person to work with! I'm really impressed with her and her work. Thank you
Brittney
For Christmas OrnamentOur ornament is beautiful, we've gotten lots of compliments on it already. It's very well made, looks sturdy, and we love the design. We highly recommend Karla.
Janice McKee
For Janice's lawn ornamentThis is my first time on Custom Made. I reached out blindly in search of how to best help a friend who had recently lost his sister. I had no idea what to expect and giving only a vague idea of what i hoped to achieve. Karla contacted me almost immediately with an in-depth reply asking pointed questions, trying to narrow down my request. From that moment on, despite my cloudiness and confusion, Karla's ability, artistic vision, and supreme kindness led the way. She devised the absolute perfect plan and carried it out with a speed and professionalism that astounded me. I am overwhelmed at what she created, and the entire process since first finding your website. I feel a bit of divine intervention in how it all happened. I am so grateful to Karla, and to Custom Made, for creating this opportunity to honor his sister, also an artist. The finished project is one my friend will cherish, and this experience i would cherish as well. Karla, you are an amazing person and artist.
Pamela Buckhave
For Custom Fused Glass Pet Portrait Nightlight -Karla 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??
A guide to the best items from the best makers and the stories behind them.