The soda lime glass used to create these pieces is handmade and hand rolled. I hand-cut the glass and hand assemble the pieces into the design. The glass contains silica in the form of sand, and various natural earth elements including gold, copper, erbium and iron. There are air bubbles and slight variations in the glass making each piece of art unique. The sheets of glass are first cut and then arranged into the design. This process is similar to cutting and arranging stained glass. I fit them together like a puzzle and melt them together in a kiln. The glass is fired to temperatures around 1500°F. To give the flat fired pieces a shape, I take the fused piece and I put it back into the kiln, into a mold, for a second firing, at a lower temperature. Once the piece is cooled I sign and date the back.

The colorful shiny glass I use is called dichroic glass. Dichroic Glass is a multi layer coating created by melting quartz crystal and metal oxides. These materials are vaporized with an electron beam gun, and the vapor then attaches and condenses onto the surface of the glass, forming a crystal structure comprised of as many as 30 layers of these materials yet the thickness of the total coating is approximately 35 millionths of an inch. The coating that is created is very similar to a gemstone and by careful control in thickness, different colors are obtained - all the coatings are created using the same exact materials.

These pieces are food safe but should not be used in a microwave or put in a dishwasher. For cleaning, I recommend hand washing or using glass cleaner.

Tivol Studios 1724 Mandela Parkway #2 Oakland, Ca 94607 ph 866-558-4865 fax 866-868-4865 jane@tivolstudios.com