NEW RELEASE
The piece is 42 inches long by 5 3/4 inches wide and stands 10 1/2 inches tall. It consists of nine waves. There are five groves cut into the stand which are felt lined so that each wave fits snugly into the groove that it is placed into. The piece is 3D and interactive allowing one to place the waves however they wish allowing them to create their own seascape.
There is also an LED light strip recessed into the back of the stand with dimmer. If one wishes not to use the LED light the power cord can be unplugged from the light strip leaving the light strip in place in the back of the stand. The piece will fit on a standard window sill allowing natural light to penetrate the waves displaying the many shades of blues.
WELCOME to Kalen Glass Art
Kiln formed glass artist Kirby Kalen is a very dedicated glass artist who enjoys life by the ocean and his travels where he gets his inspiration on a daily basis from Florida’s beautiful surroundings.
He has been aware of his artistic talent all his life but wasn’t until 2013 that he discovered his passion for glass fusion. Since then, he is continually growing his glass business and working on new projects and techniques. His commissions tend to be wall panels, door side lights, back splashes, tabletops, tableware, as well as free standing sculptures. However he is open to any other client’s request. Some of Kirby’s work is commissioned by interior designers and contractors who want some general style, textures, colors and sizes created from the artist’s perspective.
You can find some of Kirby’s art by visiting his booth at some of the local Art Festivals and a few select Farmers Markets. Contact us to receive information about upcoming events and new projects.
About the work
Kirby prides himself in creating beautiful pieces of kiln formed glass art. He uses design, placement of opaque and transparent colored glass all hand cut from full sheets, in multiple layers to create each and everyone of his pieces, these tend to be beautiful wall panels and functional pieces of glass art. A large portion of his time is spent designing pieces for bowls, platters, fused glass panels, table top art, adding beauty and function at the same time. He enjoys creating pieces for clients that fit their sense of style, and design, something that will give them years of enjoyment. Custom work is most rewarding to him.
“If you work with your hands, you’re a laborer, if you work with your hands and your head, you’re a craftsman, if you work with your hands, head, and heart, you’re an artist”
What is Fused Glass?
When glass is heated to 1200 degrees it becomes as soft as taffy. Adding more degrees of heat to the glass it will soften to a honey like consistency as layers of glass liquefy and fuse together into a single form.
Fusing is at it’s most basic, when stacking two or more layers of glass in a kiln and firing the glass until it blends or is joined together into a single unit. It is then cooled down through a process called annealing which can take anywhere from an hour to days in the kiln at 900 degrees.
Many different effects of fusing can be achieved by adjusting the temperature up or down and the length of time that the piece is firing in the kiln. But to be successful, the glass that you are using must be compatible with one another. If you use different glass from different manufactures they may not be the same COE (co-efficient of expansion). We only use Bullseye glass manufactured in Portland, Oregon and is a COE of 90. If one used glass that is of different COE’s, let’s say 90 and 96 the different glass will expand and contract at different rates and unfortunately you will experience a failure as the piece will crack, maybe not straight away but it will break at some point.
Glass is heated to 1490 degrees for a full fuse as all the layers will melt together to form a single piece. You can also fire multiple layers of glass and fire to around 1345 to 1375 degrees for a tack or contour fuse and the different layers will remain distinct from one another, this creates dimension. At this point the piece can be left as a piece of wall art or a piece the will fit in a stand and be displayed as table art. Or one may want to fire the piece again to shape it into a bowl, platter, or what have you. This process is know as slumping or draping. The piece would be placed in or on a mold or form and returned to the kiln for a second firing anywhere from 1220 to 1245 degrees and you would have a finished and usable piece of art.
Some of my pieces of art are very complex and detailed using stringers (long thin rods of glass), glass frit (crushed glass), dichroic glass (it’s a method of applying a metallic coating to glass by the manufacture giving it the appearance of being multi-colored and very reflective), streaky glass (a mixing of more than one color of molten glass by the manufacture to form a single sheet of glass). I also use copper and silver for accents along with an array of other materials. Most of my pieces of art require multiple firings for the effect that I’m trying to achieve.
by Kirby Kalen