Every fused glass piece begins as an idea that shimmers somewhere between imagination and light. I lived on a reef in the Western Caribbean, so my Sea Nymph emerged from my fascination with the ocean and the graceful mystery of the figures that might dwell beneath its surface. I wanted to capture that sense of movement, translucence, and quiet strength using glass as my medium.

For this portrait, I used fine glass powders, frit, and enamel paint, layering color much like a watercolor artist builds transparency and depth. Working with glass powder/frit is both challenging and rewarding — every shift in color density or firing temperature changes how light passes through the finished piece. My goal was to let the Sea Nymph appear as if she were caught in motion, ascending to the surface.

After sketching the initial design, I began by painting an outline of the nymph, then fusing the paint. The next step was to sift a soft base of blues to suggest the flow of ocean currents. Pre-made items included creating lace using amber, pink, lilac, and blue powders and frit. After firing the lace, I broke pieces to fit into areas of the Sea Nymph and added green powder to the face. Each stage required kiln firings to fuse the layers —  until the right balance of color and texture was achieved.

What I love most about this process is that glass never fully behaves as expected. It expands, contracts, blends, and reacts, creating moments of surprise that bring life to the work.

Note: The image above is the glass art set in a custom floating frame.