A fused glass mermaid stares out to the blue horizon where the ocean meets the sky.
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| Fused Glass Mermaid Sgraffito Frit Painting |
This sketch was originally completed during my freshman year at USMMA, the Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. I drew this mermaid for a mural to show class spirit. When I look at her I remember how I felt more than twenty years ago. I return to that time and place, almost watching as I painted the mural on cream colored concrete block walls with an edge dressing brush.
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| A Mermaid Sketch |
After all this time I decided to create the mermaid in a sgraffito technique. Watching the
Bullseye Glass education videos on working with powders and drawing on glass were a good place to start. I tried the techniques presented in the videos but finally settled on doing it my own way. I used CMC gum to trace the image and then sifted the the black powder onto the glass. Using a wax carver's set my father-in-law sent, I proceeded to spend many hours moving tiny granules of glass back and forth.
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| Mermaid Sgrafitto Frit Painting with Tools |
After firing, I thought the mermaid looked kind of plain so I added a clear glass frame and lots more glass powder. I started by adding more pattern and movement to the water and some depth to the sky. Next came, highlights to the hair and sparkle to her tail. Lastly, I built up the sky and finished off with a sifting of clear frit. I stopped including photos because the image becomes completely obscured by the glass powders. She is built upside down with the final layer becoming the back.
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| Fused Glass Mermaid Creation |
The mermaid tail is my favorite part of the whole piece. The Bullseye aventurine green glass frit sparkles against the jade and almost disappears as it enters the water.
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| Fused Glass Mermaid Tail |
My finished mermaid. She will always be tied to the memory of when I drew her originally.
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| Finished |
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