Sea Stained Glass: Kateryna Shelyhina

You many never have heard of the beach in Kryzhanivka, but luckily for Kateryna Shelyhina and for lovers of her sea glass creations, Kateryna discovered this beach in Odessa City, Ukraine when she moved there eight years ago. Like so many sea glass artisans, her journey into sea glass creations began with making small items and jewelry for friends. 

Kateryna was determined to make something more, and taught herself how to make Tiffany-style stained glass artwork. “I am really in love with creating something from nothing,” says Kateryna, “so upcycling is perfect choice for me. I often use old lamp frames from flea markets and restore them.” 

The process of her art is time-consuming, as she wraps each piece with copper foil before soldering. Kateryna carefully lays out the designs “like a puzzle, only without instructions and without knowing if all the pieces are there.”

Kateryna recently designed and created a sea glass stained art sculpture of a cat, which she donated to the city. It has become a bit of a landmark in the area and she is hoping to contribute more street art around town, sharing her love of sea glass with others. 

You can find Kateryna’s Etsy shop at SeaStainedGlass.etsy.com and catch up
with her on Instagram @seastainedglass.

UPDATE: Kateryna fled Odessa in 2022 when the war began. She is now creating more beautiful art and jewelry from her temporary home in Poland. Learn more in Rebuilding, one shard at a time.

This article appeared in the Glassing Magazine November/December 2018 issue