Fused Glass Perched Tree Swallow
Tree Swallow
Tree Swallows T(achycineta bicolor) are mesmerising acrobatic deep-blue birds with a white chest. Their gorgeous deep-blue iridescent feathers radiate and scatter light. Tree swallows live near our marshes, waters, fields and lakes. I was driven to make these glass Tree Swallows after watching them in the early summer on the French Basin trail in Annapolis Royal.
This tree swallow has been augmented with a raised "contoured" wing. The swallow has been infused with tints of aventurine blue and aventurine glass to make his "feathers" glitter. The bird comes with a detachable driftwood perch.
Details
- Handcrafted in Nova Scotia from glass (no paints, glazes or molds)
- Perched Tree Swallow with detachable Driftwood
- Artisan Studio-Glass made in Nova Scotia
- Ship within a few business days
- Size: Approximately 5 "
- Photos are for guidance only, though your bird will look similar. As it's handcrafted glass art, there will be minor variations in colour, tone and shade.
- The direction the bird is facing varies.
- Fused glass has a front and back. The front is glossier and has more detail.
How your bird is made
Your Tree Swallow is glass! No paints or glazes make up the colour, and moulds weren't used for the shape - it's cut by hand. The coloured and patterned parts of the birds plumage are layers of crushed glass. The coloured glass "frit" is carefully applied to the clear glass - it's a bit like playing with sand! For perching birds, metal wire "legs" are sandwiched between the layers. It's a bit of a balancing act getting the bird on the kiln shelf.
The kiln firing takes at least 14-16 hours plus cooling time, and the kiln isn't opened until the glass has cooled. After firing, hanging birds have a small hole drilled in their head or neck using a diamond bit and a water bath. The bird sun-catchers dangle from discrete clear thread. I initial each bird on its back.