Annette Paajanen Fused Glass

About the artist:

A Minnesota native now living in New Mexico, I have had a life-long interest in art and design. My first hands-on experience with fused glass was in 2002 while living in the heavily glass-focused Portland, Oregon, area, and my intended hobby very quickly became a passion. My joy in the medium comes primarily from playing with the iridescence and transparency of glass and often I incorporate copper - as foil, mesh or wire - and occasionally brass into my pieces. The metals interact with the glass in unpredictable ways, which just adds to the fun. About that shiny fetish I have: I love to use clear iridescent glass rather than plain clear glass to top off many of my designs, in order to make pieces that really pop.
Annette
My work ranges from smaller functional pieces to larger pieces for display. Most of my designs tend toward the abstract contemporary, with an Asian sensibility. My glass has been shown in galleries located in Oregon, Washington, California and Florida.

Many of my designs work well in different colors of glass to fit a particular décor or can be translated into other available shapes. In addition, I welcome commissions (choose colors, sizes and shapes).

Because the glass pieces are created by hand, each one is unique and there will be variations from piece to piece.

All serving pieces are food-safe and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, although hand-washing is recommended; not for use in oven or microwave.

In addition to fusing glass, I continue my career as a business writer, mostly collaborating with graphic designers to create corporate brochures and web site copy. A lifetime ago, I was a physical therapist and worked in both hospital and nursing home settings.

For additional information or to order, contact:
Annette Paajanen
503.329.5648
annette at paajanenfusedglass.com

About fused glass

Traversal Fused glass is referred to as warm glass, since it is cooked in a kiln at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1500 degrees F. Okay, that is hot but not as hot as blown glass, which goes into a furnace and heated to around 2100 degrees. Stained glass, since a kiln isn't needed to make the pieces is called cold glass. The specific origins of glass making are lost to history, but there is evidence that glass fusing began at least 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia and was subsequently perfected by the Egyptians. With the development of glass blowing approximately 2000 years ago, fusing fell out of favor and was pretty much ignored until late in the 20th century. In the US, particularly in the 60s, the growth of the studio glass movement generated renewed interest in fusing. With the establishment of fusing glass manufacturers in the 80s, which provided artists with readily available and consistent materials, interest in fusing grew quickly.

Today, glass used in fusing is manufactured in sheets that are about 20-22 inches wide by 30-35 inches tall. These sheets are made when the ingredients for the glass (including, for some colors, gold - it's expensive to buy and make) are heated and poured by hand from a ladle onto a conveyor belt - it's an awesome procedure to see! Window (or float, as it's called) glass can be fused but incompatibility can be a problem. If the glass doesn't expand when it's heated and contract as it's cooling at the same rate, you can end up with a broken mess. For glass to be fused successfully, the pieces have to have the same coefficient of expansion (COE). As my favorite high school teacher used to say, "It all boils down to physics."

I cut these sheets by hand to the shapes I want, depending on my designs. Typically, for a full fuse, I start with two layers of cut glass stacked in an electric kiln. Sometimes I add frit (ground glass bits), thin rods of glass and certain metals or other inclusions in my designs. The glass is heated to melt the pieces together and then cooled slowly - a process called annealing - so the piece doesn't cool unevenly and break. The result is a flat piece of glass. If I want a textured effect, I may add smaller pieces of glass and fire again at a lower temperature. In order to form the glass into a plate or bowl, a technique which is called slumping, another firing at a lower temperature is required. Pendant lights are made in a process called draping, which is trickier than slumping. Each of these processes can take 20 or more hours of kiln time, depending on factors such as glass thickness and effects desired. Needless to say, my local power company loves me.

These galleries currently are showing my glass so, if you're in their areas, stop by and enjoy the beautiful artwork they sell. Also check out the other fine glass artists at the website of Glass Alliance - New Mexico, of which I'm a member.

Home Sculptures Lighting Gallery One Gallery Two Gallery Three
annette at paajanenfusedglass.com




	About the artist: A Minnesota native now living in New Mexico, I have had a life-long interest in art and design. My first hands-on experience with fused glass was in 2002 while living in the heavily glass-focused Portland, Oregon, area, and my intended hobby very quickly became a passion. My joy in the medium comes primarily from playing with the iridescence and transparency of glass and often I incorporate copper - as foil, mesh or wire - and occasionally brass into my pieces. The metals interact with the glass in unpredictable ways, which just adds to the fun. About that shiny fetish I have: I love to use clear iridescent glass rather than plain clear glass to top off many of my designs, in order to make pieces that really pop. My work ranges from smaller functional pieces to larger pieces for display. Most of my designs tend toward the abstract contemporary, with an Asian sensibility. My glass has been shown in galleries located in Oregon, Washington, California and Florida. Many of my designs work well in different colors of glass to fit a particular décor or can be translated into other available shapes. In addition, I welcome commissions (choose colors, sizes and shapes). Because the glass pieces are created by hand, each one is unique and there will be variations from piece to piece. All serving pieces are food-safe and can be cleaned in the dishwasher, although hand-washing is recommended; not for use in oven or microwave. In addition to fusing glass, I continue my career as a business writer, mostly collaborating with graphic designers to create corporate brochures and web site copy. A lifetime ago, I was a physical therapist and worked in both hospital and nursing home settings. For additional information or to order, contact: Annette Paajanen 503.329.5648 annette at paajanenfusedglass.com About fused glass Fused glass is referred to as warm glass, since it is cooked in a kiln at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1500 degrees F. Okay, that is hot but not as hot as blown glass, which goes into a furnace and heated to around 2100 degrees. Stained glass, since a kiln isn't needed to make the pieces is called cold glass. The specific origins of glass making are lost to history, but there is evidence that glass fusing began at least 4000 years ago in Mesopotamia and was subsequently perfected by the Egyptians. With the development of glass blowing approximately 2000 years ago, fusing fell out of favor and was pretty much ignored until late in the 20th century. In the US, particularly in the 60s, the growth of the studio glass movement generated renewed interest in fusing. With the establishment of fusing glass manufacturers in the 80s, which provided artists with readily available and consistent materials, interest in fusing grew quickly. Today, glass used in fusing is manufactured in sheets that are about 20-22 inches wide by 30-35 inches tall. These sheets are made when the ingredients for the glass (including, for some colors, gold - it's expensive to buy and make) are heated and poured by hand from a ladle onto a conveyor belt - it's an awesome procedure to see! Window (or float, as it's called) glass can be fused but incompatibility can be a problem. If the glass doesn't expand when it's heated and contract as it's cooling at the same rate, you can end up with a broken mess. For glass to be fused successfully, the pieces have to have the same coefficient of expansion (COE). As my favorite high school teacher used to say, "It all boils down to physics." I cut these sheets by hand to the shapes I want, depending on my designs. Typically, for a full fuse, I start with two layers of cut glass stacked in an electric kiln. Sometimes I add frit (ground glass bits), thin rods of glass and certain metals or other inclusions in my designs. The glass is heated to melt the pieces together and then cooled slowly - a process called annealing - so the piece doesn't cool unevenly and break. The result is a flat piece of glass. If I want a textured effect, I may add smaller pieces of glass and fire again at a lower temperature. In order to form the glass into a plate or bowl, a technique which is called slumping, another firing at a lower temperature is required. Pendant lights are made in a process called draping, which is trickier than slumping. Each of these processes can take 20 or more hours of kiln time, depending on factors such as glass thickness and effects desired. Needless to say, my local power company loves me.
	These galleries currently are showing my glass so, if you're in their areas, stop by and enjoy the beautiful artwork they sell. Also check out the other fine glass artists at the website of Glass Alliance - New Mexico, of which I'm a member.
	Home Sculptures Lighting Gallery One Gallery Two Gallery Three annette at paajanenfusedglass.com