July 2021 3-D Featured Artist Pat Johnson

Pat Johnson is a fused glass artist and has been a Managing Member of the Harbour View Gallery in Cape Coral since 2018. She received her Liberal Art and Art Degree from Greenfield Community College in Greenfield, MA, and continued her education at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA as a candidate in Art Education.

 Early days found Pat working in several Photography Labs supervising Art Departments, as well as working directly with local photographers, where retouching, airbrushing and restoration were all done by hand. Pat 's background also includes Buyer/Manager of a local furniture store, Managing one of five print shop as well as running a small interior design business.

 Her interest in glass fusing was sparked when she first came to Cape Coral in 2009 and took classes through the City of Cape Coral. She knew that this was the medium for her and started using glass as a means to express herself. The process of glass fusing can be time consuming.  Designing, cutting glass for the design, fusing and slumping the glass into a desired shape can take several firings. Fusing is the technique of joining two or more pieces of glass by heat in a kiln. There are different glass fusing techniques. For example, “tack fusing” is a fusing technique in which the pieces of glass are heated until they are just hot enough to stick together and retain many of their own original characteristics. In a full fuse, on the other hand, glass is heated until it becomes molten.

 Pat's studio is located in her home/garage and houses several kilns. She holds classes to do small items such as pendants, earrings, nightlights and small dishes.  Pat also does special orders and can be reached through Harbour View Gallery, (Harbourviewgallery.com), or directly at: patjohnsonoriginals@gmail.com.

 Pat and her husband Paul travel back to Western Massachusetts for visits where they still have family and own property.  She loves spending time with their four children, their spouses and all of their seven grandchildren.

 Pat's interests expand beyond glass fusing, as she enjoys painting, photography, anything crafty, playing the piano, cooking, bowling and loves golfing with her husband Paul and good friends.