What is pāte de verre? "Pāte de verre" is French for "glass paste." The French (led by Gabriel Argy-Rousseau and later by Gallé) take credit for bringing this old, Mesopotamian and Egyptian technique to prominence, after being nearly forgotten for three millenia. The value in this labor-intensive process lies in the unique, soft inner glow of the glass that it creates, and the ability of the artist to place colors in different places within the sculpture. Pieces made with the pāte de verre technique are recognized by their surface irregularities, and a characteristic transluscence, rather than transparence. The glass paste is traditionally made of crushed glass and enamels, or, contemporanously, of small size glass frits. These are blended with distilled water, and ordinary white glue, gelatin or gum arabic serve as binding agents. Much like bronze sculpture and precious metal jewelry, the process begins with the making of a model. This model may be made from cold sculpted wax, clay, or even be an object, such as an actual fruit. This model is then cast in plaster or dental investment mixes. A pāte de verre artist is proficient in the techniques of mold making, including two-part and multiple-part plaster molds, negative to positive mold transfers, latex molds and cradle molds. After the mold is allowed to dry and cure completely, glass paste is thinly applied with a palette knife or a brush to its inner surface, and fired at 1400F. An artist may go through several applications and firing steps, or simply fill the mold outright and fire just once. Once cooled, the plaster is carefully scraped away from the glass sculpture within. What may I create with pāte de verre? sculptures jewelry vessels What equipment is needed for pāte de verre? kiln model making materials (sculpting wax, clay, objects) mold making equipment (plaster) crucibles glass frits or enamels What other techniques might I combine with pāte de verre? leaded glass (pāte de verre tiles) Where do I learn pāte de verre? Fenton Glass - Moon Mountain Studio in Oakland, CA Any glass school with a kiln and a teacher! Exemplary websites: Ellen Abbott and Marc Leva Anja Isphording More information: Master Class IV - Pate de Verre DVD from The Corning Museum "Pāte de Verre" by James Kervin and Dan Fenton Enter Wax Model Tutorial Enter Pāte de Verre Tutorial Enter Forums