Mary Lou Burnside
Checksum
18” x 6 1/2”
by Mary Lou Burnside
Mary Lou’s medium is glass, mostly kiln formed glass. Her designs in glass are inspired by nature and/or any object that creates a response in her to the colour and texture to what she sees. Something that makes her want to express her reaction to it in glass. Her challenge is then to transform cut sheets of glass, glass powder, and sometimes metal or other found objects, into her vision.
She designs and creates functional and decorative pieces. She also gives into her whimsical side to create garden art and multimedia work.
The process used to create her glass work is called Kiln Formed Glass. First an idea becomes a design, then multiple layers of glass are cut, assembled, sometimes with other elements such as glass powder or glass stringers, glass paint, metal objects, or organic matter such as leaves, and then fused together in a kiln at temperatures up to 1500 oF, annealed for strength, then cooled to room temperature. This often takes more than one firing. It then needs to be cleaned up, this is called Cold Working which can include sandblasting to remove debris or unwanted surface finishes, then grinding or shaping the edges on a wet belt sander to give it a finished look. The work is then placed back into the kiln for slumping into or on a mold to give the piece form, whether a plate, bowl, lampshade or other shape.
Each piece that is finished successfully, leaves her asking “what next”? Do I continue exploring this process or do I experiment with something new. There are so many different processes and methods in creating unlimited different styles of kiln formed glass. She has barely scratched the surface.
Mary Lou attended Ontario College of Art as a part time student from 1987 to 1996. She’s completed several courses in Kiln Formed Glass in Canada and United States.
She is a member of the Colborne Art Gallery, The Arts Council of Northumberland and The Spirit of The Hills, Northumberland Hills Art Association.
Contact Mary Lou
Shattered Glass
9” square
by Mary Lou Burnside
Tangere
18” x 6 1/2”
by Mary Lou Burnside
Pot of Gold
10” diameter
by Mary Lou Burnside
Agean Tassle
9” square
by Mary Lou Burnside
Dragonflies on Lace
7” square
by Mary Lou Burnside