Many collectors who stop by my booth are familiar with traditional glassblowing or stained glass, but they are completely captivated by the distinct, sugared, almost stone-like finish of our botanical leaf sculptures. This texture is achieved through an ancient, meticulous kiln-casting method called pâte de verre (which translates literally from French to "glass paste").
Because this process is highly detailed, I wanted to pull back the curtain on my Sherwood Park studio kiln and show you exactly how a raw sketch transforms into a luminous piece of fine art.
1. Sculpting and Mold Making
Every piece begins in reverse. I hand-pick a real botanical leaf to capture it's veins, organic curves, and textures. A plaster mold is then cast over the leaf to lock in those fine details.
2. Hand-Packing the Glass Powders
Using fine glass powders and granules, I meticulously pack different colored glass into the rigid plaster mold layer by layer using tiny dental tools. This gives me absolute control over subtle color gradients, variegation, and realistic shading.
3. Controlled Kiln Firing
The packed mold enters the studio kiln for a multi-day firing schedule. The temperatures must be carefully managed to "sinter" (fuse) the glass particles together perfectly so they bond without completely melting away the crisp, organic textures.
4. Divesting and Cleaning
Once the kiln has completely cooled over several days, the mold is divested to reveal the incredibly fragile glass artwork.
5. Cold Working and Finishing
The raw glass leaf undergoes careful grinding, smoothing, and washing. This multi-step finishing stage ensures the sculpture is ready for display.
A Note on Uniqueness: Because of the natural chemical reactions between different glass elements during the firing process, no two pieces ever react identically in the kiln—making every single leaf completely one-of-a-kind.
