It is very apparent that as we age and depending on how active we are, time can fly by. Since learning the wonderful things one can do with fused glass, it dawned on me that I don't have that many years left to work with glass. I wish I had started this journey 15+ years ago.

After reviewing a pencil sketch of one of my fears, my teacher, Narcissus Quagliata, suggested I create the glass art using a black, white, and gray palette.

Steps to Create the Glass Panel

Step 1.  Paint the images using black enamel on a clear glass panel and fuse it.

Step 2. Mix black enamel and mixing-white enamel to create a gray color. Then add water to the mixture and use a large brush to apply the paint as a wash. Use a badger brush and other brushes to blend and create textures. Fuse again.

Step 3. Add more gray enamel to the image, touch up black, and add black stringers. Fuse again.

Step 4. Cut white glass panel, add clear powder to prevent bubbles, top with clear panel artwork, and fuse again.

What did I learn?

I found that interpreting the fear of time running out through glass art can evoke a profound reflection on impermanence and the fleeting nature of existence. The medium of glass with its ability to freeze a moment in time through intricate shapes and textures, becomes a metaphor for the human experience—beautiful yet vulnerable.