Andrew Leitmeyer sometimes suffers for his art. But when you are working with molten glass and intense heat sometimes you get burned.

“It happens all the time. Hot glass and cold glass looks the same. It’s a lesson learned,” Leitmeyer, of Kittanning, said as he fired his oxygen/propane torch to 2,200 degrees in order to begin to bend a glass rod into plasticity before working it into a colorful decoration.

Fortunately, there were no mishaps during Leitmeyer’s demonstration of his glass-fusing technique on the sidewalk outside the Butler Art Center, 344 S. Main St., during the center’s Artisan and Vendor Show on Saturday.

He starts with glass rods and tubes heated until he uses gravity and centrifugal force to bend the glass into the shape he wants. During the process, he introduces metal or ground glass to add color to his creation.

He makes pendants, figurines and a host of other objects. “Anything you can do with wood you can do with glass,” he said. “I learn something new every time I pick up glass.”

“The key is to make sure everything is melted in. If it’s hot enough, two pieces become one piece of glass. It adds stability,” Leitmeyer explained. “Usually, when you are working with glass the saying is ‘The hotter the better.’”

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