Kathy Barnard Studio

Kathy Barnard's etched glass sculptures have truly elevated the strenuous and dirty work of sandblasting to an art form. Hours spent literally carving away a piece of glass with abrasives and compressed air result in a delicate work of art to be used and treasured.

Kathy has been perfecting her skill in this unique medium through her own research and experience since 1979. Her finished works contain subtle shadings of carved depths that reflect and highlight each piece, bringing out qualities of light and shadow that only glass contains.

Kathy is as meticulous about researching her designs as she is about etching the glass. Although most of her designs are inspired by her love of nature's plants and animals, her repertoire also includes geometric shapes, art deco designs, and the human figure.  Kathy maintains in her studio an extensive file of photographic slides and sketches that she has made while studying nature. Thus, even in December in midtown Kansas City, she is able to accurately portray the most delicate spring flower.

The etching process is painstaking and time consuming. Kathy has taught herself the techniques of this art form and she has succeeded in combining the strength and forcefulness of her materials and equipment with the fragile beauty of glass.  Before a design can be transferred to the glass, the surface must be masked off and the design drawn on the masking material. The design is cut into the mask with a knife and portions of the mask are removed as sandblasting proceeds.

Etching glass requires a firm and steady hand, but a delicate touch. Kathy carefully controls the sandblasted surface by gaging the coarseness of the abrasive used, the pressure with which she shoots it through the nozzle which is powered by an air compressor. The design is thus carved into the glass. Each portion of the masked artwork is individually removed and then carved. Each piece is a unique and individual piece of art.

Kathy's craftsmanship, sense of design, and delicate handling of form brings a sensitivity to her art of carved glass that is unequalled. When light strikes the pieces, it appears to magnify the depth of the carving and produces the illusion of self-illumination. Kathy Barnard's art is truly excellence to be appreciated.