Susan Longini

Over time one develops a rich tapestry of influences to enhance one's work.

The experience of dwelling on three continents, working, traveling, raising a family…combine to point out some universal, timeless truths.  Using the petroglyph form, found on every continent, and incorporating patterning, also found globally, I attempt to make simple statements about the world as I see it.

I use glass for its seemingly conflicting qualities:

luminosity/opacity

strength/fragility

solidity/viscosity

These for me symbolized the universal state of being.

Kilnforming is the process of heating glass in the kiln to produce the desired result.  The act of heating glass can take numerous forms, from flat fusing sheets of glass together to melting glass into a mold to sagging existing sheets into or over a mold.

Pate de verre, “paste of glass” is the process employed by mixing glass frits and powders with a binder and pressing them into the desired form.  Using the properties of glass as a liquid, the pate de verre is heated to anywhere from 1270 F to 1600 F.  The lower temperature retains the granular qualities, while the higher temperature gives a smooth, “glassy” appearance.