Nancy Sheridan
Glass & Acrylic Artist
Nancy Sheridan is a fused glass and acrylic artist and founder of Glass Oasis, a studio specializing in handcrafted fused glass art and original coastal acrylic paintings. Her work — in both mediums — is defined by a deep connection to nature and a focus on color, texture, and light.
Artistic Inspiration and Style
Sheridan's creative process is shaped by the diverse coastal and aquatic environments she has called home, including a lake in Texas, a reef in the Western Caribbean, the Chesapeake Bay, and her current home in New Bern, NC. Whether she's working in molten glass or layered acrylic, her art reflects these natural settings, featuring:
- Vibrant Color Palettes: Bold, saturated color drives both her glass work and her paintings, creating strong visual impact across mediums.
- Nature-Driven Themes: Aquatic life, shorelines, and natural structures inspire pieces ranging from her fused glass "Sea Nymph" to her acrylic depictions of tides, reefs, and sky.
- Functional & Fine Art: Her portfolio spans functional glass items like air plant holders, wine charms, and candle holders, alongside fine art wall pieces in both fused glass and acrylic on canvas.
Techniques and Process
Sheridan trained for three years under renowned glass artist Narcissus Quagliata and continues to study with him, his son Orfeo, and other artists within that glass community — a lineage that brings a painter's sensibility to her glasswork, and a glass artist's feel for texture and depth to her paintings."
In glass, her technical repertoire includes:
- Glass Powder and Enamels: Detailed imagery and "portraits" built up in glass, as seen in her "Sea Nymph" series.
- Experimental Pours: Traditional paint-pouring techniques adapted for kiln-safe enamels (Big Mouth Paint), creating abstract, marbled patterns that survive firing.
- Kiln-Firing and Manipulating:
Careful surface prep, layering, and firing schedules to achieve effects like "cells" or "lacing."
In acrylic, Sheridan translates that same layered, fluid approach onto canvas — building up color and movement to capture coastal light, water, and atmosphere. Her paintings are presented unframed, with painted canvas sides, ready to hang. View the acrylic paintings collection.
Ultimately, Nancy Sheridan's work — in glass and in paint — is a celebration of nature's fluid beauty, transforming color and light into vibrant expressions of the coast she calls home. You can find her work on this website and on
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