Sunset Over the Hills

Artist: Diane C. Taylor
Size:  7.25” x 11.5” x 1”
Medium: Glass
Info: www.dianesfusedglass.com
 
Although I have always been fascinated by glass, it wasn't until I came back to Tucson in 2002 that I was able to pursue this interest. After determining that stained glass and lampworking were not my mediums, I tried fusing and found my passion. The result of my first fusing effort was so exciting, I decided to do more. 
 
Bright colors, geometric designs, lively pieces: I love to play with colors and patterns while maintaining simplicity and elegance, and sometimes whimsy. 
 
I look at the world and see scenes transformed into glass. For example, at an event at a Scottsdale country club, we were near a small lake where some egrets were at home. I took photos and went home to create my version in glass. 
 
The Sonoran desert, where I was born and raised, is a favorite theme. As a former “horse person,” I include simple spirit horses with cacti and other desert plants, mountains and, of course, a blazing sun (or nighttime moon). Using a technique learned from glass artist Roger Thomas, I create the horses with stencils and “mica”, a powder, mixed with alcohol and applied with an air gun. If the piece is to be framed and the horses are on translucent glass, I back them with shiny, often patterned paper to add interest and depth. 
 
Glass is a wonderful, challenging medium, and I’m always experimenting, pushing its limits.