Casting glass is another technique I like to use; I sees it as a way to bring color to my sculpture. And some of the same techniques I use today have been used since early in the Egyptian period.
Modern cast glass is formed by a variety of processes such as kiln casting, which is the process used in my studio, or casting into sand, graphite or metal moulds. In kiln casting, I make the mold and then place it into the kiln, add frit (small glass pieces, in colors and patterns) and bring the temperature up, melting the glass together. With this method I can add layers if glass (and color) with each firing.
When I get the desired colors and thickness in the piece, it must be annealed – the long and complicated process to bring the temperature down slowly so the new piece doesn’t crack in the cooling.