Paul Gliesman
Paul has been doing stained glass panels since his initial training in California in the 1970’s. Retiring from a business career in 2015 Paul has expanded his capabilities / tool kit including unique, one-of-a-kind panel designs, painting on glass and melting and forming glass using a kiln. Some notes on the different glass art techniques:
Glass Panels – A pattern of the desired final work is first drawn digitally to size. The printed pattern is then used to identify colors and size / shape to fit the pattern. Copper foil or leaded came and solder is used to connect all the glass pieces for the finished product. Panels usually include at least 30 to 70 glass pieces and can range from 40 – 80 hours to complete.
Painting on Glass – A drawing of the final work serves as a design for glass painting. Glass paint consists of finely ground glass of different colors. Each color is brush applied to the glass and fine-tuned with tools for clearing and shading. Between each applied color the glass is fired in a kiln to 1200 degrees F to fuse the paint to the glass (making it permanent). Projects can take up to 10 firings to complete a project.
Kiln Fired Art (Fusing) – Fusing is the process of melting glass pieces together into various shapes. The pieces are fired in a kiln at 1475 degrees F. The firing / fusing process can take up to 15 hours depending on the size and density of the glass. Molds can be used during fusing to obtain the desired shape or design in the glass.
Paul has worked with many customers to achieve their desired design, sizing and colors for different pieces of art. The room / setting, light, seasonal topics and personal interests all play a part in the collective definition of the final art. Stained glass art brightens a room with different colors and can make a beautiful and interesting statement.
