Sharon Laska (nee Phillips) was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta and has always had dual interests in Art and Science. Her formal education is in Biology (BSc.) and Geology (BSc. and MSc.), and she spent twenty years in geological field work and teaching. In 1978, Sharon attended an evening class on Stained Glass at Sheridan College of Art and Design in Mississauga, Ontario and knew she had "found" her medium. She began full time glass work in 1988 and started doing fused glass in 1996. Sharon designs and fabricates of one of a kind pieces and commissioned works.
About Fused Glass
Fused glass differs from the traditional stained glass in the method of assembly. Hand cut pieces of glass are layered on top of one another and fused together in a kiln. In general the glass is heated to a temperature where it sticks together or flows together in a limited way. The major difficulty in fusing glass is that the different pieces must be "compatible" by having the same thermal expansion rate, or "coefficient of expansion". That is they must expand and contract at the same rate. If the glass is not compatible, it will crack as it cools The design possibilities for fused glass are extensive and different from those that can be achieved with other glass techniques. Fused glass has a very pleasing smooth surface and a sparkle that cannot be matched by traditional stained glass.
