Artist Profile: Nancy Cann

Fused-Glass Designs

By Heike Hellmann-Brown

It was Nancy Canns husband who got her started on her endeavor with glass paintings. A few years ago, we searched for something to do together, she says. I dont care for sports, and he doesnt care much for gardening. We were both inspired by the beautiful pictures in a how-to book about enameled jewelry.

Vitreous or glass enameling is made by fusing glass to metal under high heat. Enameling allows the artist to work in rich, saturated tones, or the subtlest of pastel shades.

Cann called several art schools, but couldnt find any enameling instructors. So, she and her husband signed up for a class on fused-glass jewelry, which is similar to enameling in that both use glass chips and a kiln. After a few attempts, my husband decided that fusing glass wasnt for him. I, on the other hand, found glass fusing to be great fun! When I first started in 2000, I used a small corner of my husbands workshop and listened to an old radio. Now, 14 years later, Ive taken over most of the basement, acquired a stereo, and my husbands workshop has been reduced to his toolbox although, I have laid claim to most of the tools!

After designing fused-glass jewelry for a while in a rather competitive market, Cann felt she had taken it as far as she could. So, she concentrated again on her initial desire to learn more about enameling. Her experiments generated glass art pieces with crackled effects. I am very innovative, she says. So, I rose to the challenge and developed my own techniques.

Born in Birmingham, Ala., Cann grew up in the Atlanta area. Her school teachers exposed her to art and kindled her curiosity. Horses were her favorite subject back then, and she graduated with a degree in zoology, wanting to be a wildlife illustrator. Later, she worked in commercial arts, designing business presentations. I am driven to do art any kind of art, she says. Cann is a published photographer with a strong interest in wildlife photography and also paints in acrylics and oils a talent she uses when making her glass objects.

I actually paint with glass, Cann explains. She draws something out and then uses powdered glass to lay in the design. I play with color and composition. My work is constantly evolving, she says.

While Nancy Canns favorite subject remains horses, she also crafts glass art of landscapes, flowers, and abstract pieces, either as wall hangings or to put on a stand. Another application of her work is the decoration of mirror frames and clocks with glass mosaics unique designs that are often commissioned.

Cann sells her artwork in local and national art shows, and is represented by various galleries across the country. She is a past vice president and the current Membership Committee chair of the Atlanta Glass Art Guild.

CellarArt.com