What is Glass?
Whitney Munroe began her glass studies with stained glass. There are many steps that go into making a stained glass art piece. Whitney would begin by creating the glass design. She would then pick out the glass that would be used in creating the piece. There are two different ways to make a stained glass piece: copper foil or lead. Copper foil is usually used for more intricate glass pieces whereas lead is much better for large stained glass projects. For both processes Whitney would cut the glass and then grind it so that the pieces fit tightly. After all of the glass was cut and formed, Whitney would begin to copper foil the pieces. For lead projects, she would cut the lead and fit the glass pieces as she went. She would then use a soldering iron to finish the project by applying lead to the seams of the glass.
Unlike stained glass, fused glass does not use copper foil or lead. In fact, the only materials are the different types of glass. When creating a fused glass piece, Whitney Munroe has much more creative flexibility. She is able to cut the glass without worrying about fitting the pieces together perfectly. Therefore, she creates unique pieces of artwork that could not be conceived with stained glass. After Whitney has cut all of her glass pieces and glued them in place she is ready to put it in the kiln. She then fires the piece, reaching up to 1400 degrees farenheit. After cooling down in the kiln the piece is ready to be removed. All that is left is a little cleaning and a beautiful piece of artwork!
Slumped glass is much the same as fused glass except it uses molds. In order to make the different plates and dishes Whitney must use a mold in the kiln. She places the glass on top of the mold and then fires it. The glass will form to the shape of the mold making unique plates, wind chimes, bowls, and vases! Whitney has also combined fusing and slumping in order to utilize the benefits of both methods. This allows for glass to be fused together in the shape of plates, bowls, vases, etc.
There is still a lot to learn for Whitney Munroe. She is constantly thinking of new ways to use fused and slumped glass. She hopes to expand on her fantasy creatures, making them shine with the beauty of glass. She will continue to make and sell glass pieces while working and going to school at the University of Arizona. Please contact Whitney at munroeglass@gmail.com.
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