The Glass Crab That Scuttled Me
to New Bern

Most people announce a move with a postcard. Maybe a change-of-address email. I rode in on a ten-foot red crab.

If you caught the video on Facebook or on the home page of this site, you saw me in a leather jacket, reins in hand, galloping a glossy red crab through the surf at sunset. A wave crashes, I throw up a rock-on hand, and a new member of the coastal art scene officially arrives in New Bern.

Meet the Real Crab

Here's the part that isn't made up: that crab is one of my own fused glass pieces. One hundred cuts and multiple fusing sessions.  It's deep garnet-red glass with glossy black eyes, kiln-formed in my studio several years ago. It has long since sold to a happy collector, who I hope doesn't mind its sudden film career.

The crab in the video is the same piece. It just has a few upgrades the original never had: working legs, reins and a rider who clearly has somewhere to be.

How a Glass Crab Learned to Gallop

A little AI magic. I started with a photo of the finished glass piece and used AI video tools to give it motion, a beach and a sunset. I'm telling you that up front because everything I actually sell is the opposite of AI: cut, layered and fired by hand, one piece at a time.

The video is the fun part. The glass is the real part.

Why a Crab?

For years I made art beside the Chesapeake Bay, where crabs are practically a religion (and where everyone knows a crab only turns that shade of red after a trip through the steam pot). Coastal North Carolina speaks the same language. Between the Neuse, the Trent and the Crystal Coast, sea life is everywhere here, and so is the inspiration.

A crab felt like the right guide for the trip south: a little sideways, a little stubborn, and completely at home where the river meets the sea.

What's New at Glass Oasis

The move came with a new name on the homepage, too: Coastal Art by Nancy Sheridan. Everything is still handmade, now right here in New Bern:

• Fused glass in shells, coral, sea life and coastal colors, from candleholders and trays to sculptures and wind chimes. Shop Glass Beach Decor
• Glass home decor , including bowls, trays, clocks, wall art, and sculptures. Shop Glass Home Decor
• Original acrylic flow paintings in the blues, sands and deep-water tones of the Neuse River and the Crystal Coast. Shop Acrylic Paintings

No two pieces are alike, so the one you see is the one you get.

Missed Out on the Crab?

The original found its forever home, but crab-sized ideas are always welcome. If you'd like a custom fused glass piece for your home, a gift or a coastal-themed space, let's talk about a commission.

Come Say Hi

I'm new in town and would love to meet my neighbors. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram for new pieces, studio work and whatever the crab gets up to next. Check social links in the footer. You will also find us on Etsy.

Welcome to the new Glass Oasis. Saddle up.

Nancy Sheridan is a fused glass artist and acrylic painter based in New Bern, NC. She trained for three years under renowned glass artist Narcissus Quagliata.