Kiln Casting Series by Tom Philabaum

“In 2003, I was one of 75 former instructors invited to Penland School of Crafts to participate in their 75th anniversary celebration, by working in any studio I wished.  I chose to work in ceramics.  It was there that I was inspired to make a large totemic piece in clay that would later be transposed into glass.  Thus began my kiln-cast glass series. Kiln-casting is the process of creating a mold (negative) from a positive in clay, wax, or wood. I use clay, and once the mold is dried, fired, and cooled, it is filled with glass cullet (chunks), and fired in a kiln until the glass melts into the mold.”  
-Tom Philabaum