J MOILANEN STUDIO
Artist Bio
Raised on the shores of North Puget Sound, John Moilanen is a third generation Northwest artist and entreprenuer born of Finnish and Norweigan descent. Having studied at the University of Washington and gaining a unique skill set throughout multiple mediums, John continues to push the elements of design and application related to glass, metal and wood. Marketing his work across the country in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta and Seattle, John has gained a national reputation as a proven glass artist and craftsman. Current work may be found in galleries across the country, Alaska and Hawaii.
Designing glass applications for more than twenty years within Charlton Glassworks, John Moilanen and his mother, Sandie Charlton, revived the ancient art of combining glass and metal. The individually, hand-cut metals are fused between layers of glass to form functional pieces of art. The 1500-degree firing process turns the end product into unique, fiery images. The result of the eighteen-hour heating & cooling cycle is a durable, yet beautiful, piece of glass art. The addition of custom steel work and accents of live edge wood provide a wide scope of application and design potential throughout the line.
Fused glass is the act of melting multiple layers of glass together. This is often combined with the use of inclusions (i.e. copper foil). At J Moilanen Studio, it is safe to say, we have tried to fuse almost everything on the planet between layers of glass. Some results are really cool; while others go straight to the dumpster.
Although the science of glass fusing can be rather complex, the basic premise is simple. Whatever elements you are fusing must expand and contract at the same ratio. There are different glass compositions, thus not all types of glass can be fused together. This same principal holds true to the inclusions. It is safe to assume that most fused glass does not incorporate inclusions; rather it is composed of layers of colored glass.
Available Fused Copper and Glass Objects by J Moilanen Studio