As an example of my creative process, the following series of photos shows the making of a cast glass table top.
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- A clay slab is rolled out to the desired thickness of the finished casting. Texture and relief details are then added to the surface.
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- The clay form ready for casting is surrounded by boards to form a mold reservoir which will hold the mold material. Anything appearing in the clay at this stage will be replicated exactly in glass.
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- A thin face coat of fine mold mix is carefully flooded onto the clay model. A thinner fine coat at this point helps to pick up maximum detailing from the original model.
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- After the facing coat has started to harden slightly, the main body of the mold is poured to fill the mold box. This is a denser thicker material designed for strength in handling and firing the mold.
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- After the mold has had time to harden, the boards are stripped away. The clay, still in its plastic state, is peeled away from the hard plaster mold. The soft clay can easily be removed from undercuts, providing a richer surface than is typical of a molded process.
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- Once the plaster mold is washed it is ready to be filled with glass.
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- Colored glass in the form of powders, coarser grains and glass cane is laid into shapes in the mold.
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- Thick crystal clear glass slabs are then laid on top. This glass will melt and flow out to the mold and fill cast areas on the lower section.
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- The fired cast glass table top is removed from the kiln. The glass has flowed together and formed a smooth edge in the mold.
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- The mold is easily broken away from the glass. The mold cannot be used again. Each mold is unique, for one time only.
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- The finished cleaned cast table on its steel frame.