Process
Fused Light Studio glass is kilnformed glass. This means that the glass is cast, carved, fused or shaped in a kiln, at temperatures of 1150 to 1650 degrees Fahrenheit.
The glass must then be annealed - cooling at a slow, even rate so that the glass remains stable. The kiln firing on smaller pieces takes several hours to five days; large castings take a week, a month, or more.
To create figures, textures, and shapes, we sculpt in clay, wax, ceramic fiber felt, or sand.
Layout in sandbed kiln with fiber felt
Fiber felt for kilncarving
Cast glass often uses a plaster-silica mold, built around a sculpted form. The form might be clay, wax, a 3D print, fabric, fruits and vegetables, or found materials.
Glass can also be cast using refractory boxes around plaster-silica forms.
Uniquely at Fused Light Studio, we can sculpt glass using our sandbed kiln. This allows artists to capture gestures as well as make textural impressions and unique three-dimensional forms.
A piece might start from a single thought, or from a life story.
The artist may first sketch designs expressing that thought or story, then consider how to use glass to carry out the design.
We do studies in clay or glass to test the methods and see how the design translates to glass.
Detail of clay relief for work in progress
Glass shards arranged and layered
Glass artists can also design by sketching or sculpting directly in the sand, clay or fiber felt from an emotion or idea.
Or they might arrange glass pieces to see what they elicit, and rearrange as a concept emerges.
Almost all glass requires finishing work to smooth and polish the edges. This can take as long as making the piece itself.
Hand-grinding edges on figure for Out of the Depths