Biography

Carrie Trenholm’s fascination with glass began while watching her father create stained-glass windows. In 2000 she ventured into the fused glass process, taking a workshop from Bullseye Glass in Portland, Oregon. Her art education continued with a trip to Ravenna, Italy in 2012 to study techniques of mosaic glass with Luciana Notturni at the Mosaic Art School. A course she took from Narcissus Quagliata deepened her curiosity about the possibilities in glass.

Carrie Trenholm has exhibited her work at the Springville Museum of Art, the Harris Fine Arts Center at Brigham Young University, the St. George Art Museum, the Sears Art Museum Gallery at Dixie State University, LaFave Gallery in Springdale, as well as the Braithwaite Gallery at Southern Utah University.

Fused Glass Process

• Sketch out several designs and add color with watercolors or colored pencils.
• Select transparent and/or opaque colors of glass.
• Cut out glass pieces and grind if edges are sharp or if pieces need to fit tighter.
• Choose frit, (small chunks of glass in multiple sizes) powders (crushed glass) and stringer (glass threads) if needed for design.
• Clean glass to remove oils from cutting tools and fingers.
• Fire at desired temperature, lower temperatures for textual pieces and higher (up to 1490 degrees) for smoother surfaces.
• After the first firing you can add more glass to the surface and re-fire several times, or cut up and reattach pieces in a different design or pattern.
• For a three dimensional piece, slump the flat glass piece over a ceramic mold or stainless steel form and fire at a medium temperature.

Carrie's Fused Glass Designs & Classes

Exploring new techniques and methods is exciting and rewarding as I try to capture light and color in glass. Much of my current work stems from observations while floating rivers and hiking in the beauty of the West. Sketchbooks and a traveling watercolor set allow me to play with colors, patterns, and line while I am outdoors, spurring ideas back in the studio. In the summer of 2014 I expanded my studio to include a new kiln room and to provide an instruction area. I look forward to teaching and creating with others who are curious to learn about fused glass. There are classes for adults and children; check out the attached flyer with the link below for details.

My Workshop Classes Flyer

To see more of my artwork, please visit my Facebook, Google-Plus, and Instagram accounts at the bottom of this page.
Now showing, new glass artwork at the SUU Art and Design Faculty Exhibition at the Braitheaite Fine Arts Gallery Cedar City, Utah from January 15-February 14, 2015. You can also visit SUU College of Performing and Visual Arts website for more information.