MOOSE LAKE - He found his craft in an unpredictable medium.  A Moose Lake man passes the time in his home glass studio.

"Its fun being out here, it really is," said Bruce Nielsen.  "Most of my time is out here with the glass."  In Moose Lake, you'll find Nielsen in his home studio cutting, grinding and soldering glass.  He got his start in this unpredictable medium more than 30 years ago with a little urging from his sister.  I had an old desk that I wanted 2 stained glass windows put in and she said, if you want them, take the class and do it yourself, and I did," said Nielsen. 

So what started as just a hobby for many years became StoneCroft Glass Studio, a place where Nielsen creates stained and fused glass.  "It’s a good way to spend time at home, gives you time to get inside of your own mind a little bit."

From his unique kaleidoscopes to his stained glass panels, each piece is hand–cut, wrapped in copper foil and soldered.  "The work can kind of stands on its own," said Nielsen.  "I really don't like to make things that go in windows if I can put them in an interesting frame or do something interesting with them myself."

In fact, most of his work is framed or free standing.  "It doesn't have to be hanging from a window, I kind of maybe push back the real traditional type stuff; let somebody else be creative in where they want to put it, how they want to use it," said Nielsen.

Its unique stained and fused glass he hopes to create for years to come.  "I can only hope, I can only hope," said Nielsen.  "It’s a really good place to be and being in the studio working, it kind of puts you in your own little world, wherever you want to be."

Nielsen also runs StoneCroft Alpacas.  He has a herd of Huacaya alpacas at his Moose Lake home. 

For more information call (218) 485-5737 or E-mail bwnielsen@northlc.com