Blending two worlds in glass

Blending two worlds in glass

Retired dental ceramicist Bob Schnieder is continually surprised more dentists in his field aren’t doing glass fusion art.

After years of blending color and understanding how glass reacts, Schnieder’s art is still informed by his former career. “There’s a tremendous correlation between dental ceramics and fusing glass as I do now for art, they’re very similar,” Schnieder, now based in Solon, Iowa, said. “(Dental ceramics) is an art form itself, a natural transition. Blending colors, textures and coming up with something that’s creative and unique…every patient’s unique, everything you do is unique.”

Schnieder’s studio “Glass By Bob” is making a first appearance at Charles City’s annual Art-A-Fest, where he’ll display stained and fused glass wall art, plates, jewelry and other pieces. He tends to combine metal and wood into unique, contemporary pieces, Schnieder said.

“My inspirations come from something in nature,” Schnieder said. “Also, my wife, I use her as a creative consultant. She’s been very helpful over time to give me ideas and feedback.”

Art created by glass fusing bonds separate pieces of glass with a kiln’s heat. Schnieder stumbled upon it while considering taking up glass blowing –– “I would have had to add on another section of my house to put up the furnaces” –– and now takes his work to an average of eight shows a year. He expects to have between 60 to 80 pieces on display at this year’s Art-A-Fest.

“I probably do something different every year. I started very simply doing jewelry and graduated to larger works,” Schnieder said. “I’ll be bringing things from the small pieces to the larger pieces. A complete spectrum.”

His art can take anywhere from a day to a week to be fired in the kiln and then cooled –– the annealing process, which slowly relieves stress on delicate fused glass by keeping temperatures consistent throughout the piece. Glasswork that doesn’t go through this process can break as the outside layers contract faster than the inside, causing stress that cracks the pieces.

“I’ve actually just completed three or four in the last couple of weeks,” Schnieder said. “It’s a great hobby for me. It’s not a job, it’s not work, it’s fun.”