38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good intermediate projects, January 8, 2010
This review is from: Kiln-Formed Glass: Over 25 Projects for Fused and Slumped Designs (Paperback)
It's hard to decide whether to give four or five stars. It depends on what you're looking for. The projects are almost all very attractive (to me, anyway!) and well-designed with clearly written instructions.
The author states that these projects are intended for those who have had some experience with cutting and fusing glass. I pretty much agree with her and think she pulled off the presentation of these intermediate projects well. (I'm tired of craft books that devote precious space to info that's easily found elsewhere.) She does, of course, cover some basics, but a beginner will need other references and some hands-on practice. However, none of the projects is extremely challenging, either, so someone with basic knowledge could easily do any project that appeals to them. I plan to use it with my students: with me to guide them, even the beginners should easily be able to manage any of the projects.
The instructions are extremely clear and easy to follow. They are well-illustrated with excellent photography. However, a small quibble about the gorgeous photos: sometimes they excel more at the photography than at showing me what I really wanted to see about a piece. Several times I found myself looking for a different view--a down-to-earth perspective in addition to the artsy one. I don't know if anyone else would agree.
There are two things I want to mention about the techniques she covers. First, she includes the use of such things as Glassline pens, bubble powder, mica powder, fiber paper cut-outs, and inclusions such as gold and silver leaf and copper. I wish she had more prominently identified which projects used which techniques. Also, she might have given each a wee bit more of an introduction: even experienced fusers may not have tried all those options, as acquiring all can be expensive. But at least they are included and are integrated in nice ways.
The other thing is that many of the projects seem to be variations on the same theme with only minor differences. That's ok up to a point: her creations are beautiful, and her style should have wide appeal. However, I would like to see more than just variations of "layer these pieces on a clear backing." (For instance, I prefer the look of dichroic glass when it's under clear, but I don't think she ever used clear on top, nor did I find a mention of using the dichroic-on-clear upside-down. Sorry if I just missed them.) For those following her projects exactly, it's fine, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more style variation to provide inspiration. I don't recall that any of the projects require more than two firings, which is good from a production or teaching studio's perspective but does limit some things.
Any studio should have all the equipment necessary with the exception of things like the specialty products mentioned above. None of the projects requires a ring saw for cutting. She does use a grinder, and an appropriate kiln is necessary.
Ultimately I chose to give five stars because I think she did what she intended to do--write a book of nice intermediate projects--very well. This would be an excellent follow-up to Petra Kaiser's books,
Introduction to Glass Fusing and
Fuse It.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely one of the best books for glass fusers, May 7, 2010
This review is from: Kiln-Formed Glass: Over 25 Projects for Fused and Slumped Designs (Paperback)
The quality of the pictures, information and projects is excellent in my opinion. I have several books about glass fusing and occasionally need some inspiration for my own designs and ideas. I found this book to be far above average both in the quality of projects and pictures. You can't go wrong with this purchase and find it's pefect for beginner and intermediate fusers. I also like that the author lists the glass and glassline paint colors used in the examples. Wish there were more quality books like this one.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Okay, but..., July 30, 2010
This review is from: Kiln-Formed Glass: Over 25 Projects for Fused and Slumped Designs (Paperback)
This book was moderately informative and seemed aimed at advanced beginners. I did not find the projects appealing, but that is personal/artistic taste.
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