Made On Delmarva: Swimming Dog Glass
Don Cheeseman is a retired school teacher turned glass artist. Back in 2004, he decided to trade in the books to take a crack into the artsy side.
"I decided to try fused glass for the first time. With fused glass you are working with flat pieces that you can't take your time and build. You can take your time, fire them up multiple times, and you heat them up from anywhere from 1250 to 1700 degrees," says Cheeseman.
He uses heat to create all kind of fiery creations.
"Anything from bending surfboards, to large glass patterns, says Cheeseman.
He has a studio in Snow Hill where he displays his work.
"Everything I do teaches me something about the next piece I'm going to do," says Cheeseman.
He showed 47 ABC how he makes beautiful plates. He starts by pulling hot pieces of glass.
The piping strands are 1600 degrees and are broken to create tiny shards of glass called fritz.
Once he has enough fritz he begins to make a pattern for the plate. He measures and cuts pieces of glass.
Cheeseman arranges the pieces to assemble the plate and then sprinkles fritz all over the panel to add a pop of color. He fires up the kiln and places the plate inside.
The plate bakes in the kiln for several hours. After it cools down it is ready to be displayed. Another piece of art reflecting a rainbow of colors!
