Ann Kleckner

Artist Bio

I grew up in a rural setting near Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where I and my siblings developed an appreciation and love of nature. The eldest daughter in a large family there was little time for art, yet art was in the family genes. Throughout my life I have explored a variety of mediums including drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, gourd art, fabric painting, felting, stained glass and most recently glass fusing.

My fascination with glass began in 1987, when I took a UW Mini course on glass fusing. I was intrigued but had no kiln of my own, so glass fusing was put on hold until 1989, when I first had access to a kiln, and chanced upon a book on glass fusing. I started with scrap window glass, a ceramic kiln and liquid glass paints and just started experimenting.

Over time I’ve taken classes and tried a variety of techniques from slumping, draping and fusing to etching, torch work, pot pours, molding and blowing glass, and although I continue to use all of these techniques at times in specific pieces, my primary love continues to be painting on glass using powdered glass in an oil medium or glass chips.

I currently live in a rural setting in south central WI where I work and teach classes from my home studio and belong to the artist group, 14 South Artists, Inc. I feel fortunate to have discovered fusing on my own, prior to its recent surge in popularity, because it has allowed me to develop a style all my own. Whether it be painted or layered, my jewelry and art glass pieces are a fusion of my love of flowers, nature and glass.