(828) 526-0173 | [email protected] | Copyright 2024 – All Rights Reserved.
For the Love of Glass
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: October 2023
Beth Bowser’s creations are the product of artistic vision and extraordinary heat.
The beauty in glass is revealed by the light that shines within it. That’s also true of our featured artist, glassmaker Beth Bowser. Her love of nature, of people, of art, radiates around and through her. She and her husband, Ken, both formerly active in the ministry, have shed their light onto many.
Now, as retirees, they are immersed in the arts. Comparing ministry to art – each are spiritual in their own way.
Since Beth’s last Laurel interview, she’s leapt to a new level of glass-art called glass stretching. When 7-8-9 layers of glass are properly fused and encouraged to move in a dammed pool, so to speak, their dramatic deepness can be jaw-droppingly beautiful.
A synopsis of the process: Beth stacks pieces of colored glass in a metal ring (about 10-inches across). Kiln door is closed. Temperature’s set for 1525°F. When melted, the kiln’s cooled, metal dam removed, and glass circle is placed on a non-adherent surface on kiln floor. Door closed. Kiln heated again. Now the glass stretches outward. When cooled, the sheet of glass can be draped over a mold for a bowl, tray, or vase, and heated once more. When cooled, voila! A beautiful vessel. Opening the cooled kiln is Beth’s favorite part. Each firing presents its own magic.
Beth wants to experiment more with glass tinting. She describes the gist: “Glass tinting uses crushed glass, which comes in different sizes: powder, fine, medium, and coarse. Tinting typically uses either medium or coarse Frit, which is tinted by using a color of Frit powder mixed with a small amount water to mix with the medium or coarse Frit. Once mixed together it is fired at a high temperature. The final step is either slumping or draping the fired glass, using an appropriate mold. It also can be used in a free form or sculpture creation.”
Regarding freeform/freestyle, she might launch with something in mind or she might start playing. She says, “I love the freedom it provides.”
She also wants to experiment with glass combing. Suiting up like a fire fighter and controlling temps, she will open the kiln just a bit and drag a fireproof comb through the liquid glass to create ribbons, patterns, and stripes.
The possibilities are endless.
See Beth’s work at The Bascom Gift Shop, Gallery 1 in Sylva, Objet d’Art in Cashiers, and the Fall Colors Show on the third weekend of October. For information, phone (828) 743-9759 Or email [email protected].
