Fused Light Studio makes kilnformed, or “warm” glass. This means that the glass is cast, carved, fused or shaped in a kiln, at temperatures of 1175 to 1700 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 one to five days; large castings take a week or more.
Figures, textures, and shapes may be sculpted in clay, plaster, wax, ceramic fiber felt, or sand. Cast glass uses a plaster mold, made from a clay or wax form.
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.
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.
With framed pieces of clear glass, the artist may paint or digitally create a background to bring out the depth and texture of the glass.
Many pieces made with kilnformed glass require finishing work to smooth and polish the edges. This can take as long as making the piece itself.