Featured Artist Caroline Masters

Artist Caroline Masters presents a vibrantly colorful portfolio of kiln-formed sculptural art glass. Find more of her work on her website.

 

 

I never expected to become a glass artist. My journey here has been a mix of curiosity, experimentation, and a lifelong love of creating. Looking back, though, it makes perfect sense.

 

 

I grew up in a creative household—my mother was an architect, designer and artist. My father an engineer with a fully stocked workshop. There was always something being built, created, or designed around me. Summers on Cape Cod deepened my love for nature. I spent hours on the beach and in the water, and was always fascinated by the contents of the mesmerizing tidepools.

 

 

Glass, though, came much later. In 2013, I happened upon works made of Bullseye glass at a weekend art festival in the San Francisco Bay Area where I now live. The vibrant colors and interplay of light within these pieces captivated me. This ignited in me a deep fascination with fused glass, also known as kiln-formed glass. Eager to explore this medium, I enrolled in classes and workshops at the Bullseye Bay Area Resource Center, and learned from a number of exceptional glass artists. This marked the beginning of my passionate exploration into the endless possibilities that fused glass offers.

 

 

Now, glass is my passion. I love working with transparency, layering colors and materials to create depth and movement. One of my signature techniques involves creating abstract discs and tabletops through a method I affectionately call my Wedding Cake process. This involves multi-layer constructions using various forms of Bullseye glass and additional materials like silver foil. I utilize a custom steel mold to shape and contain the glass as it melts at temperatures exceeding 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

 

The process requires a complex kiln schedule, including precise annealing to prevent internal stress that could lead to fracturing and breakage. A single piece usually involves multiple firings. The process can be unpredictable, but that’s what I love about it—the balance of control and surprise, structure and spontaneity. I view this as a collaborative dance with the glass, co-creating each piece through a blend of planning and intuitive experimentation.

 

 

In addition to my artistic activities, I have a full-time career in B2B sales and marketing within the manufacturing and tech industries. This dual role means that my time in the studio is precious, and I strive to make the most of every creative opportunity. More recently, I have also been exploring encaustic monotype printmaking, another layered and textural medium that compliments my glasswork.

 

 

As I continue to grow as an artist, I remain committed to exploring the myriad possibilities that fused glass presents. Each piece is a journey, an experiment, and a reflection of my ongoing intuitive dialogue with this extraordinary medium. I invite you to join me in this exploration and to experience the unique beauty that fused glass art brings into our lives.

 

 

If you’d like to see more, please explore my collections and upcoming events. There’s always something new in the works!

 

Caroline Masters invites you to follow on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

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