Sheila McCutchan | African Heat | Fused Glass | 2005

Kiln formed, fused glass is mesmerizing and almost alive in intensity. 
Optically tuned designs are made in my home studio in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Each glass piece is a one of a kind creation… beautiful and functional.
This collection of art is inspired by a recent summer trip to Ghana, West Africa. 
In the guise of a mid-life Sabbatical, I found myself living in the village of Begoro,
teaching jewelry making to the girls in the Presby Vocational Institute for Women.
I was inspired daily by the colors of Ghana…  the batik fabrics… the lush rainforest…
the beautiful people with luminous smiles, dressed in brilliant colors of flowing fabric.
I have been working with fused glass since January 2004. 
I took a few classes at the Minnetonka Center for the Arts and I was hooked. 
I love the creative freedom available in fused glass art. 
The possibilities of creation are endless and each piece is unique.
The art form is a blend of creativity, color, cut fingers and science…
working with the glass at temperatures up to 1750 degrees Fahrenheit.