Even as a child, I needed to "create". I think I started by weaving pot holders, then sewing doll clothes, and making paper flowers and Dip-a-Flowers (remember those?). By the time I was in high school I was making my own clothes. I have worked with crocheting, cross-stitching and needlepoint, quilting, rug-hooking, fabric marbeling, paper-making, stained glass, and jewelry making. You name it, I have likely tried it at least once.
Jewelry was what led me to fused glass. I started making my own beads for my designs, but the beads would often crack. As I researched lampworking (torch-worked glass), I found that controlled cooling and annealing the beads would help keep them from cracking. And that's where it started. I purchased a small kiln and (because I'm that type of person), I began reading the manual. In the manual, I learned that you could MELT GLASS IN THE KILN! I was mesmerized! I fired my first little squares of glass, and I haven't looked back since (and I haven't touched my sewing machine since either!)
Fused glass quickly became my passion. As my passion in creating art glass has grown, so has my desire to share the beautiful things I create with others. Nothing can compare to seeing something that I have created bring joy to someone who loves it just as much as I do.
Many glass artists do production work, but I rarely create more than one of an item unless it's part of a set or a series. I enjoy working with a wide range of techniques, so you'll see a lot of variety in my designs. Hopefully, that gives you more to choose from when looking for something for yourself or someone special.
I create my fused glass art in my home studio that lies in the foothills of Cache Valley in Northern Utah. While I am originally from the Southern US, I have called Utah my home since 1989. The beautiful high mountain desert in which I live and its surrounding areas provide a lot of the inspiration for my work.
In my "day job", I work as a Software Product Manager at Campbell Scientific, a scientific instrumentation company. When I am not working on fused glass or working on software, my husband Karl and I enjoy mountain & road biking, hiking, cross-country skiing, exploring new places, and just wandering around with our cameras. I also maintain a blog on fused glass techniques, which can be found at jestersbaubles.blogspot.com.
While you're here, I hope you'll take the opportunity to look around my on-line store. And if you are interested in a commissioned piece, have questions about any of the available pieces, have questions about fused glass, or just want to say hello, contact me!
Dana Worley, Artist's CV (in PDF format)
