My History

I've always been a creative person with moderate talents for arts and crafts. Nothing exceptional but always enough to keep me interested and learning more. I started working with stained glass in 1989. My first class was a 4 week copper foil class with Meredith Studios in Alexandria, Virginia. I loved it! I then signed up again for the leaded glass class taught in the same studio. I've been working with glass ever since.

My introduction to Fused Glass

Many years later I visited the Smithsonian Craft show in the Building Museum, in Washington, DC. There I saw my first piece of fused glass and fell in fascination/love again. I remember talking with the artist a long time that night. He was kind and gracious enough to explain things and answer questions. Later that year, I purchased my first kiln from Mullica Hill Stained Glass in Elmer, NJ. My first fused glass class was with the Washington Glass School in Mt Ranier, MD

I'd like to say, I'm self taught but over the years I've taken lots of classes and workshops. They include:

1. Meredith Studios, Alexandria, VA (Closed)

2. Virginia Stained Glass, Springfield, VA

3. Washington Glass School, Mt Rainier, MD

4. Vitrum Studios, Beltsville, MD

5. Weisser Glass Studio, Kensington, MD

Stained Glass.

When working with stained glass, I primarily like to work with leaded glass.The process seems to go quicker than copper foil but mostly I like the lines that lead create in the finished piece. Over the years I've created transoms, sidelights and many interior window hangings.

Fused Glass

I sometimes laugh at myself when thinking about how I started my "new" craft. My first kiln was a 15" round kiln that operated on a standard 110 household current. When mine arrived, it was put in the bay window of my bedroom as the operating space. The first time I plugged it in, it blew the fuse. My house in DC is over 100 years old and needless to say, the electricity was not upgraded to handle this. My new hobby turned expensive right away, when I had to have an electrician install a dedicated circuit for this kiln!

Since that first kiln, I now have another larger one for those bigger and more creative projects. My kiln is no longer in the bay window of my bedroom but in my studio space in Lost River, WV. In 2013, I registered with the State of WV as Albert's Stained and Fused Glass. This will allow me to participate in craft shows throughout the state.

I now think that my moderate talent has turned exceptional! But, that's just my opinion. I continue to create, learn and sometimes teach stained and fused glass work.