Catherine has been working with kiln-formed glass for the last six years, since her transition from traditional stained glass methods. She was recently one of the lucky few to study alongside world renowned glass artist Bob Leatherbarrow, who originally developed the 'crackle' technique after many years of experimentation.
In order to create her own 'crackle' range, Catherine applies layers of fine glass powder to sheet glass and manipulates them using a variety of techniques, before firing to a temperature of 825 degrees Celsius, then slowly cooling to relieve the internal stresses. Creating the crackle effect often takes several separate firings for a single piece.
The unique textured appearance of a sheet of glass created this way, depends on the combination of powders used, how the powders are applied and how the glass is heated in the kiln. When blending powders together in this way, it is important to understand the chemical reaction which can result from layering certain colour combinations - in this way the distinct design elements such as 'colour islands' and 'veining' can be produced.
The final step Catherine takes in forming a piece, is to shape or slump the newly created sheet glass by slowly warming it in the kiln so that it bends in response to gravity and assumes the shape of the underlying mould.
