Color, glass and food are three things that JerI Dantzig is passionate about so this medium has given her the opportunity to fulfill them all. First coming to Martha’s Vineyard in 1984, she opened a well-loved seasonal, waterfront restaurant, which she ran until 2000.
The first year they were featured in Travel and Leisure’s Best of Martha’s Vineyard issue. After taking a bit of time off and working for others for a change, she decided to follow another of her passions; glass. So she built a studio, purchased a kiln and other equipment, took classes at Corning Glass Studio and at Urban glass in NY, and here you see the fruits of that pursuit.
A bit about Fused Glass…
THE FUSING PROCESS
Full fusing, the complete merging of two or more pieces of glass into one, takes place at around 1500 degrees F. Above that temperature, glass becomes increasingly liquid.
The “heating” phase, which takes place between room temperature and around 1200 to 1700 degrees F (depending on the process you are performing), is where the glass makes the transition from a solid to a more flowing form. As glass is heated and moves through this phase, it goes through three separate states. First, from room temperature up to about 1000 degrees F (540 degrees C), glass remains rigid and brittle. It is expanding slowly, but will still crack or break if the temperature increases too rapidly.
By the time the temperature of the glass gets above 1000 degrees F, any glue, moisture, or surface contaminants have burned off. The glass begins to soften slightly and the surface of the glass will look glossy.
When the temperature reaches around 1300 to 1400 degrees F, the glass gradually becomes soft enough to conform to a mold. It starts to glow a bright yellowish-red. The edges may soften and round and two pieces of glass that are touching will begin to stick together. This is the temperature range where slumping or molding takes place.
If heating continues above 1330 degrees F and moves toward 1500 degrees F (820 C), the color of the glass deepens and becomes more red. Glass in this range has slumped completely and even starts to stretch out of shape.
Full fusing, the complete merging of two or more pieces of glass into one, takes place at around 1500 degrees F. Above that temperature, glass becomes increasingly liquid.
THE ANNEALING PHASE
Annealing is a process by which the stress in the glass is relieved and the molecules in the glass are allowed to cool and arrange themselves into a solid, stable form. Successful annealing is the key to creating glasswork that will remain stable once it cools to room temperature.
THE COOLING TO ROOM TEMPERATURE PHASE
Once annealing is complete, the Cooling to Room Temperature phase begins. Often this is no more complicated than simply allowing the kiln to cool naturally, but thicker pieces of glass and kilns that cool rapidly require a bit more attention. The key is to slow down the rate of cooling so that thermal shock is prevented and the glass cools without cracking.
One wonderful thing about my fused glass tableware! It is dishwasher safe, can be cut on with a knife and can be used as trivets for hot items as well.
