February 2023

Fall Seaglass Leaf

I’m a bit of a sea glass hoarder and can’t resist collecting pieces whenever I walk on the beach. Over the years, I’ve amassed jars full of it. While sea glass is beautiful on its own, its varying colors, small sizes, and random shapes make it challenging to use for large-scale projects. Additionally, without direct light, it often appears cloudy rather than vibrant. In the Fall of 2023, inspiration struck when I stumbled upon a partially dried Sugar Maple Leaf during a walk on the beach.

 

I took the leaf home and let it dry and curl naturally. Once I was satisfied with its shape, I created a paper-mâché mold of the leaf. Using my collection of curved, brown-hued sea glass pieces, I crafted the overall shape and intricate curled form of the leaf, meticulously matching each piece to the leaf's natural curves. This process was painstaking, but each piece of custom glass design found its place to replicate the leaf’s texture.

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Soldering this project proved challenging due to the softness of sea glass compared to traditional stained glass. Sea glass can crack when exposed to high heat, so the glass soldering lines aren’t as smooth as usual, but this imperfection adds to the “crunchy” texture of the dried leaf—perfect for what I wanted to capture in glass art.

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Measuring 12” x 10”, this piece was finished with a copper patina and carnauba wax for added shine. It is mounted on driftwood I collected from Willows Beach, where I found most of the sea glass. The finished artwork captures the essence of both the beach and the maple leaf, bringing together elements of DIY stained glass, woodworking, and a natural stained glass light effect when displayed with light behind it.