About the Artisan

I am a Reclaimed-Glass Artisan who fuses and slumps reclaimed glass.  I collect glass scraps from a local glass shop in Portland, and I receive donations from community members.  I work with non-tempered, clear glass that has once been a window, a picture frame, a tabletop, an aquarium, a shelf, etc.  I also work with pre-consumer scrap glass, which consists of the cut-offs left over after glass shop employees have cut new sheets of glass into the dimensions needed for projects. These types of glass, often called float glass, or flat glass, are chemically different from container & bottle glass. They can not be mixed with bottle or container glass and are not included in most municipal recycling programs. While this glass is not made for fusing, it can be fused, and with a lot of patience and perseverance, it can yield delightful results.

I began my journey into glass fusing over 10 years ago.  I learned the basics from classes offered at various glass studios in Portland. My interest was, and remains in salvaging and recycling scrap glass. I was unable to find a local teacher familiar with fusing reclaimed glass, and I received lots of negative responses about the reality of working with scrap glass. I love a challenge, so I began experimenting and working with scrap glass in my studio. I learned how to properly fuse reclaimed window, picture-frame and aquarium glass into functional glassware pieces through many hours of experimentation and observation.

Born and raised in the Pacific NW, I live, love, play, work and study in Portland, Oregon. I am currently a student of Horticultural Therapy, in pursuit of becoming an HTR, and am a counselor-in-training at the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education & Counseling. I am looking forward to my professional, personal, and artistic evolution.

I owe thanks to Sierra Glass in Hillsboro who got me started with my first tubs of glass scraps, and to my past supplier of four years, Precision Glass in Clackamas. And of course, a Big Thanks to my current supplier of going on 6 years now: Alpine Glass Service on SE Powell Blvd, in Portland, Oregon and to my friends and community members who have made donations of glass!

Thank you for your interest & support,    Naomi Berg