Anna Miller

Glass artist Anna Miller of Indianapolis carries on a rich Hoosier tradition with great skill and enthusiasm.

The 19th century discovery of natural gas beneath Indiana fields sparked glass production in the state. East Central Indiana began attracting manufacturers including several glass companies.  The art glass community arose at that time with new opalescent glass sheets, rods and art objects being produced by skilled artisans at Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works.  

Anna carries on that tradition with her lampwork glass beads, jewelry and functional pieces. Historically, a simple oil lamp and bellows were used in the process, hence the name “lampwork glass.”  Anna’s tools include well-designed dual fuel torches. Modernized tools allow for greater possibilities in craftsmanship, using techniques that were not possible in years past. Her process involves melting quarter-inch glass rods with the torch and applying it to clay-coated steel rods to form beads.  While still in a malleable state, they are shaped and layered with additional colored  rods.  The designs can also be enhanced using chemically reactive glasses that produce  surprising results and an element of the unexpected.