Jen Voegtli

About Jen Voegtli

I started working with kiln-fired glass in 2003 at UC Davis, where I was completing graduate research in biochemistry. Originally, creating my fused glass pieces served as a diversion from my work in the lab, but I quickly grew to love the bright color combinations and abstract shapes that could be generated by mixing multiple types of glass in a single piece. In 2007, some friends commissioned me to create a set of glass charms, and my home workshop was started. Now, the majority of the pieces I make are small glass charms and earrings, although I also make small plates, bowls and vases that are both functional and meant for display.

I work with many types of glass, including fusible dichroic glass, millefiori, stained glass, and glass frit, in an attempt to create interesting visual textures and patterns in my pieces. I especially enjoy the “random element” that comes into play when multiple glass pieces are heated and allowed run together as a viscous liquid. During this process, colors can change, gas bubbles can form, and patterns can intertwine, creating the completed piece. I find that my finished pieces are a fusion of my vision for the piece, the unique character of the starting materials, and the stochastic processes that occur in the heat of the kiln.