Coast

Culture & Context

This panel is inspired by the way light passes through glass to reveal an inner luminosity intrigues, this work captures the imprint of the beack from a cast, when fused in glass the looks like it is under the surface of the water.

Process & Production

A cast of the beach was taken using plaster, a square section is measured out on the sand and a plaster mix was made up with water.

The mix is poured onto the sand and allowed to set. The plaster model is now the master model and is taken back to the studio, where it is cast again with gelflex silicone rubber. This becomes the master mould from which to cast further moulds from, a mix of plaster and flint is prepared in equal parts and is poured over the gelflex rubber and allowed to set. Once dried out the mould is set in the kiln and a sheet of glass is placed over the mould. The glass is cleaned carefully and dusted all over in turquoise glass frit, the kiln is shut and the glass is fired on a slump programme to around 790 degrees Celsius. The programme anneals the glass slowly, once the kiln cools down to 50 degrees the kiln can be cracked open and the glass can be taken out of the kiln. Any sharp edges can be removed with the linisher to smooth the edges off.

Recipe Details

Prepare the mould, measure equal parts of plaster and flint with water to create a mould mix which can then be used to cover the gelflex model of the beach. Use boards to block up any gaps around the edge of the model. Apply a thin face coat (first coat) of the mould mix to the model, allow to dry. Add a thick layer of mould mix in a slightly thicker consistency to the model, in the final pour add glass fibre to the mix to strengthen the mould. Once the mould has dried it can be put into the kiln for firing. Clean the glass and sift on a fine layer of coloured glass frit, place the sheet glass onto the prepared mould (made from a mixture of plaster and flint) and place into the kiln and fire to around 790 degrees Celsius.