Simply put, kiln forming means heating glass to very high temperatures in a kiln for the purpose of combining, shaping, or manipulating it. Fused glass, slumped glass, draped glass and combed glass are all examples of kiln forming.

Think of glass as a liquid that is frozen at room temperature.

Heating the glass in a kiln melts the glass, allowing it to act like a liquid -- it sags, it flows, it blends, the surface softens and smoothes. As the glass cools, the shapes, patterns, colors and textures created by the flow are captured permanently within the glass. Colors blend to create new hues, and variations in depth enable the glass to reflect, bend, and carry light. The result is a spectacular display that gives each piece a unique character and brilliance.

In designing her work for kiln forming, Lynn chooses individual pieces of glass carefully, not only for appearance, but also for compatibility of their rate of expansion when heated. She cuts and shapes the pieces, cleans them thoroughly, lays them out in a pattern, and then places them in a kiln. At 1250°, the pieces soften and drop down against one another. At 1400°, they adhere to one another, but edges and textures are still sharp. At 1500° the sections melt into one another, eventually forming a smooth surface.

The piece is then cooled quickly to just below 1000°, and held at that temperature for a period of time. This step, called annealing, reduces stresses within the glass and prevents flaws and cracks in the finished piece. The fused work is then cooled slowly to room temperature.

Once the piece is cooled, if it is going to be shaped, it has to be fired again. Lynn places the glass on or over a mold, usually of ceramic or stainless steel, then slowly heats it back up to 1250°. As the glass softens, it slumps into or over the mold, and takes on a new shape. It is once again annealed and cooled slowly.

From beginning to end, even a simple piece could spend 20 hours in a kiln before it is finished. Larger and more complex pieces require days, sometimes weeks, of very slow heating and cooling to achieve the artist's vision.

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