My glass pieces are made using Bullseye art glass in my studio in North Yorkshire.

  Shapes are individually cut and layered by hand, usually on or covered by a layer of 3mm clear Tekta glass, then fused in my glass fusing kiln. Even a simple looking snowflake can have more than 50 hand cut parts. All work is fired flat for the first firing which takes around 24 hours. Temperatures reach 800 C . It is allowed to anneal slowly back to room temperature although it's always tempting to open the kiln to have a quick look before this! Some pieces are fired flat again to add layers or details then some are fired slumped in a specialist mould to give a 3D form. Fused glass keeps its shape at a thickness of 6mm, but I make layers varying from 3 to 9mm in the same piece to add texture or relief.

  As  can be seen above, small bubbles and lines are normal in the fusing process. The art glass colours I use are all compatible having the same rates of expansion and contraction and come in transparent and opaque flat sheets, frit (crushed glass), stringers (thin rods) and confetti (flat shards). I buy my Bullseye glass from Warm Glass UK and Pearson's Glass. Other things that can safely be added are glassline papers and metals e.g. shapes cut from thin copper sheets or wire, nichrome loops for hanging and even paper clips.

 Fired glass can easily be cleaned with warm soapy water and is food safe if smooth.

 As a former Science teacher I enjoy the experimental nature of glass fusing, but my background in Biology usually informs my work with an organic feel. I may do some preliminary sketches but often design as I'm making.