From Deseret News archives:
All fired up 'Recycled glass artist' says her favorite project is whatever is in her kiln
Rusho describes herself as a "recycled glass artist," who not only works with recycled glass but has also recycled herself from burned-out business person into an artist.
It all began when Rusho got interested in making her own jewelry, including making her own glass beads.
"I bought the biggest kiln available," said Rusho. "Then I had no money left over for glass. But I couldn't wait to use the kiln, so I went and melted a bunch of recycled glass."
Rusho was fascinated by the glass and became addicted to the new art form, but at first getting recycled glass was a problem.
"In the beginning, I would drive around Sugar House during spring cleanup and take (recycled) glass off people's piles," said Rusho. "One time, I made three trips to the same home to get a 4x4 piece of glass. I couldn't fit it in my small car, so I came back with my Explorer, but it still didn't fit. I finally had to come back a third time and cut it with my tools right there on the street to put it in the back of my Explorer."
Stacks of windows and bags and boxes of bottles have taken over the back half of Rusho's driveway.
"I'll go through most of this in a week," said Rusho, pointing to the bags and boxes nearby.
Rusho is a warm-glass artist, which means she puts her piece in the kiln at room temperature and takes it out at room temperature. She never handles the glass while it's hot, like a glass blower does.
"It takes more planning," said Rusho. "The end result happens while you're not there. You have to know what you want the results to be and think backwards of the steps it will take to get there."
Rusho is good at creating the end result she wants. Her finished artwork comes in all shapes, designs and textures. The colors are predetermined by the piece of glass that was donated and sometimes the charter of the glass as well. Rusho explained that the thickness, hard-water stains, the age of the glass and the manufacturing techniques used to make the original glass all play into her designs. Rusho also uses different glass-making techniques called fusing, inclusion and slumping to creatively enhance clear glass into beautiful bowls, trays, ornaments and jewelry.
The combinations of glass and technique seem endless to the self-taught Rusho.
"As long as I can think up things," said Rusho, "I never have a shortage of things to try."
Recent comments
Not ONE picture of her work? Ridiculous.
BotchedExperiment | Sept. 9, 2007 at 12:20 p.m.
jodi's imagination knows no bounds which explains her constant...
suz larson | Aug. 31, 2007 at 5:10 p.m.
Congrats to Jodi for this great article about her. I have several of...
Russ Lyman | Aug. 31, 2007 at 2:58 p.m.
- Utes exposed 12:20 a.m.
- Editorial: Redo UCAT selection 12:16 a.m.
- Presidential summits look good 12:16 a.m.
- 'Restoring' is like saying 'tax hike' 12:16 a.m.
- Clash shows faith-reason dichotomy 12:16 a.m.
- We protected democracy in Utah 12:16 a.m.
- Free markets and health care 12:16 a.m.
- Signs of Hasan's extremism ignored 12:15 a.m.
- Military takes care of its own 12:15 a.m.
- Famous WWI photo alerted world 12:15 a.m.
- Apostle's wife felt comfort in attack
- Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
- Short-handed Jazz fly past Sixers
- D-Will home for daughter
- Utes excited for 'dream' game
- Bench proves fruitful for Y.
- Crash on snowy road kills woman
- Born of water and the spirit
- GameDay in Fort Worth
- BYU happy to escape with victory
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
358 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
200 - BYU happy to escape with victory
194 - Senators want food tax restored
166 - Will state consider gay rights law?
148 - TCU plows past Utes, 55-28
134 - Can BYU root for (ick) Utah Utes?
130 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113
If you are looking for a bird on the cheap, the following specials from...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
This is hardly surprising. Bennett has a remarkable arrogance which is also...
I guess that is why "they play the game" as Herman Edwards would say.. ...
What was the score of the LSU vs LA tech game? Alot closer than you'd like to...
Has Fedor not said that THIS IS OUR YEAR all year long? Go back and...
This is just a small glimpse of the future with Obamacare: corruption, waste...
I Bleed Blue | 9:44 p.m. Nov. 14, 2009 Wow! What a beat down. The second...
This is another reason soccer is a sad sport, a team that just makes the...
Make sure this is on the front page!! If you insist on mentioning that the U...
I am glad Utah got a lesson in humility today. You were getting obnoxious...
let me level with you..... Greg Miller does not really care what the majority...

