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The Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, N.Y. has recently placed New Hampshire artist Amy O'Shaughnessy's '99 glass Iguana into its permanent collection. Jonathan and Katie Oakleaf of Canton, Conn., donated the piece from their personal collection and recently delivered it to museum curator Tina Oldknow.

This is very significant accomplishment for Amy because The Corning Museum of Glass is home to the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of fine art glass.

O'Shaughnessy (formerly Kapacziewski) graduated from Hamilton College in 1999. While on the hill, the great professor, Bob Palusky introduced Amy to glass and she fell in love with the medium. After graduating she went on to get her masters degree in Fine Art from the Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Crafts. She is a juried member of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and currently exhibits her work at both League and independent galleries throughout New Hampshire. Amy grew up in Northboro, Mass. and attended Algonquin High School in Northboro. She currently lives in Manchester, N.H. with her husband, Jim O'Shaughnessy '00, two rescue dogs, and two cats; and she teaches art at the Middle School at Parkside in Manchester, N.H. 

Artist Statement


I have always loved drawing animals and plants. I use fused glass to express my fascination with nature. I paint on the glass with frit as if it were a canvas. The different sizes of frit control the saturation of color and transparency of the glass. The result is an animal or plant that appears three-dimensional.

Every piece is fired at least three times: an initial fusing, a 'painting' fusing, and a final, lower temperature polish. These processes create layers of color within and on the surface of the glass. I spend most of my time drawing and carving my design, and then use a reverse sand-carving technique to engrave this image in relief on the surface. My imagery is inspired by art nouveau designs and my technique is a modern interpretation of cameo glass.

Glass is a way for me to fulfill my curiosity with nature. I explore the intricacies of a feather and the scales on a fish to translate that beauty in glass. Each piece forces me to use color and texture in a way that represents my own interpretation of the natural world. My obsession with detail and minutiae drives me to make work that is as technically challenging and visually distinctive as the animals and plants that inspire me.

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