Fused Glass Watercolor Jellyfish Jellies Tentacle Tendril Hanging Panel

A Fused Glass Jellyfish of Diluted Watercolors

Fused glass jellyfish created from translucent shades of diluted color float on a sea of glass.  These jellies float freely as their curling tentacles flow behind and candy cane twists of blue glass reach like arms from below.

Fused Glass Jellyfish Floating on a Sea of Glass

This art glass panel started as a photo taken at the Mystic Aquarium in 2003.  This picture caught my eye as the computer monitor went to sleep and the photo slideshow screensaver came up.  When a panel begins with a memory, the project seems to take on the feelings of that moment.

Watching Jellyfish at the Mystic Aquarium

Here is the original sketch created from the jellyfish photo.  I tried to capture the arced pattern created as the jellies seemed to move gently around.

Jellyfish Sketch for Fused Glass

After reading the ebook Tricks with Transparency by Helios Kiln Glass Studio, I created these fused glass cabochons.  I layered and stacked and layered again and then fired them to 1500 degrees F for 15 minutes - twice.  That's a lot of time in the kiln, but I love the depth of color and gradation of shades.  

Fused Glass Cabochon - Layers of Transparent Glass

Next, I wanted to create the glass stringer for the trailing tendrils of tentacles.  Starting with pieces of transparent Bullseye scrap in coordinating colors, I heated and pulled these strips using my Mega Minor torch.  Each stem was pulled individually.  I then pulled and twisted the candy cane striped twists in shades of blue, white and clear.

Hand Pulled Stringer From Bullseye Scrap Transparent Glass

After shaping each cabochon into a jellyfish, I placed each tentacle so they seemed to flow in an almost circular motion around the glass.  I added liquid glass in a powder blue to add another element and layer of depth.  After firing it will be just a hint of added detail.

Fused Glass Jellyfish with Stringer Before Firing

The completed fused glass panel was taken to a contour fuse of 1425 degrees F to give the final piece texture.  The clear base ripples as the smooth bodies of the jellyfish almost seem to move gently above.

Fused Glass Jellyfish Taken to a Contour Fuse