My glass kumquats are so lifelike you'll think they are real at first (and even second) glance. They are heirloom quality art works. If you collect glass food these will be a great addition to your stash. Or give one as a gift to your favorite gardener, gourmet cook or foodie.

These are the size of real kumquats - about an inch long (except for the little unripe one in the front of the picture). They are so realistic you have to keep them out of the reach of small children. With their light orange color they make a great addition to a collection of my other glass fruit and berry sculptures.

Almost nothing in nature is perfectly round, smooth or even, so I deliberately avoid making my glass fruit and leaves too perfect. I put on splotches and speckles, make them a tidbit lopsided, and add other imperfections so that each berry or leaf is unique. This makes them look much more "real". I made each of these Kumquats by melting colored glass rods in the flame of a torch using the lampwork process, gravity, surface tension and simple tools. Every dimple is individually applied over the surface of the fruit with a tungstsen pick in a painstaking process. No two are ever exactly alike.

Elizabeth Johnson Art Glass, LLC