Art Hohl has been making glass bowls using a sag-through technique with electric kilns. This achieves delicate forms similar but uniquely different from blown glass.

The first step is cutting and assembling colored sheet glass. Then it is fused into a one-piece disc at about 1,500°F.

The bowl form is created during a second day in a kiln. The fused glass disc is placed on a ring supported above the kiln shelf and heated to 1245°F for about eight hours. The heat softened glass flows—or sags—down through the center of the ring until it reaches the kiln shelf and creates a flat base.

The slow flow of the glass results in beautiful curves of design elements that started as straight shapes. Any very thin inclusions, such as fine silver leaf, are stretched into interesting visual textures.

The bowls are not only for decorative display. They are also useful and functional as elegant tableware.

Visitors are welcome at Vitreous Visions. The gift shop is open by chance or call first. It is generally open on weekends June through September.