I began creating and designing fused glass at Columbus College of Art and Design in 2000 where I received my BFA in 2001. I took a break for design to achieve some life goals and recently started designing and creating again a few years ago.

I create and design fused glass art using only some of the finest glass available. I hand make each piece in my home studio paying special attention to every detail. Each piece has its own character and no two are ever alike.

Fused glass is a process that involves several phases including design, planning, kiln firing(s) and cold work to achieve the desired result. Each piece is fired between 1200-1700° Fahrenheit. The pieces must be heated and cooled at a rate appropriate for the size and thickness to ensure the results are one solid durable piece of glass. This process can take anywhere from five hours to multiple days, depending on the volume of glass being fired. Between firings each piece is meticulously cold worked, both by hand and with the assistance of machinery. The piece is then given a final shape by heating it one more time in the kiln to 1100-1300° so the softened glass falls into, or drapes over a mold.

My designs come from the inspiration that is all around me. My ideas are laid out in the form of a sketch and I then determine my color choices from there. After this is decided I then begin cutting the glass and arranging it on a kiln shelf so it can stay in the desired design when it is put into the kiln. My designs and color vary from my sketches often once I start the cutting process.

Please feel free to ask any questions about my designs or the techniques used to design each piece. Thanks for your interest in AjMcKee Design.