Featured Artist: Jennifer Anne Kelly - The Forest Floor

Bark, moss, snails and fungi - Jennifer Anne Kelly's featured collection titled "The Forest Floor" will be available to view in the Queen Shop's Retail Feature Window, from May 16 - June 15, 2025.

Check out the Online Collection here!

Jennifer Anne Kelly has been on a journey to discover glass since 1992 when she graduated with an English Literature degree and simultaneously attended her first stained glass class. Since 2010 she has travelled to glass schools throughout North America to further develop her specialized skills in kiln forming. From 2013 - 2016 Jennifer produced glass for the boutique stores of Cirque du Soleil. Over the last ten years she has developed unique techniques in kiln firing for sculptures which has led to teaching master classes in Canada and the UK.

Jennifer has been involved in a number of projects including a permanent display at the Ottawa General Hospital, an installation inside the St Charles Market belltower, and has received multiple awards including “Best in 3D Art” at The Toronto Outdoor Art Fair, a full scholarship to the renowned Pilchuck Glass School, and a grant to create The Ottawa Miniature Gallery.

"Calming and optimistic forms and colours are inspired by my interest in all things mystical. Small worlds that exist on a mossy forest floor, the spirit of beings we can’t quite see, and the interconnectedness of all things influence my narrative. The creative process is a ritual that offers the greatest satisfaction. Through glass I can see our natural world as a magical, peaceful place. In 2019 I became inextricably linked to the forest through a tick bite and debilitating Lyme disease. Through chronic pain, bouts of partial paralysis and heart failure, I would transport my mind back to the forests and rivers and focus on the beauty that lives there in microscopic detail. The understanding of the value of every small detail that lies on the forest floor has given me a sense of peace in understanding my own mortality. This also challenged me to create glass sculptures without the use of any real pieces of the forest."

"All my sculptures are created without the use of moulds and are entirely out of my imagination. My work in sculptural glass intrigues me as it challenges the capabilities of kiln forming by relying on volume, shape, and gravity to create dimension. They celebrate the details that can be achieved with an intension and with time given to working in the kiln. The ethereal qualities of glass married with the fascinating science of its behaviour is endlessly intriguing. I am thankful for the ability to share my internal dialogue as visual expression."

"The common glass thread through all my work is the contemplation of the human experience in our natural world. Humans have always had a deeply emotional relationship with the world around us. We interpret metaphors in these scenes. We struggle at times to relate, and at other times feel a profound interconnectedness with the universe. It brings me great joy to see others connect with nature and life through glass work."

"At the time of graduating from an English Literature degree in 1992, I took a stained glass course in Ottawa and was completely entranced by this magic substance! It was the mode of communication that felt most natural to me. I often struggle with the words but find pure feelings in my finished glass. I spent the following years experimenting with original designs in stained glass, and then around 2010 I began experimenting with kiln-worked glass."

Jennifer has learned from some of the most respected glass artists and has studied at many renowned schools, some of which include Pilchuck Glass School, Corning Museum of Glass Studio, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Urban Glass, Bullseye Glass Studio, and Cirque du Soleil.

"Fleeting moments in my daily activities or on one of my excursions in the forest and on the water make my heart jump. It can be the view in front of me or an image in my mind. It is the spark that ignites my vision for a new glass artwork. There is often a combination of textures with highlights and shadows that attracts me to a certain composition. It is almost always something mysterious or magical about the scene that holds my attention."

Most pieces begin with fine glass powder that changes under heat in the kiln. The layering and shading of various powders is repeated several times with multiple trips into the kiln  - fine tools are used to etch into the powder and to shape the individual forms. In some cases, a torch is used to shape rods of glass into the anticipated forms. After torching, etching, and shaping, the glass goes back into the kiln for annealing. The process of creating the various elements that go into a piece takes weeks and often months.

Check out the Online Collection here and make sure to visit the Queen Shop to view in person!