Lorraine Schineili

Since my beachside childhood I have loved the sea and the treasures found at the shore. After moving to Atlanta, it was depressing to find myself in a landlocked city, hours from the nearest coast. To my delight, fusing glass with the colors and organic shell-like shapes of the beach provided welcome relief from that condition.

I began fusing glass in 2002 after an initial class at a local art center. It subsequently became my obsession. Since that time, I have traveled the US and Canada studying with masters at major glass centers including Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle, The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, as well as at the Bullseye Glass Factory, in Portland Oregon; the source of my materials.

Working full time in my studio, I combine glass with graceful organic forms in an attempt to capture the essence of natural shells while not seeking to duplicate them. Small pieces of colored glass are composed into patterns on my kiln shelf and carefully fired to temperatures approaching 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. After fusing and extensive annealing the resulting pieces are removed, sandblasted and sculpted with diamond tools. The patterned slabs are returned to the kilns and heated to a lower temperature, draping them into soft organic shapes with a combination of stainless-steel forms and refractory materials. The works are sandblasted once more, sealed to bring out their colors and signed in preparation for shipping to the gallery.