Keith and Deanna Clayton - Studio Art Glass

Shallow Vessel [filesize 20K]

Lidded Ornamental Vessel [filesize 30K]

The exquisite Pâte-de-Verre Vessels by Keith and Deanna Clayton are a wonderful collaboration of two talented artists. Both Keith and Deanna studied art formally, with Deanna receiving a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art History and Keith a Master of Fine Art Degree in Sculpture. Their collaborations combine the classical lines of traditional vessels with a contemporary twist. Working together with glass since 1990, their vessels have developed over the years resulting in a body of work distinctive in their designs.

The pieces are cast using an ancient glass technique, which the French term “Pâte-de-Verre”. Pâte-de-Verre translates to “paste of glass”. First, a blend of Plaster of Paris is built and carved into a mold. The pattern is created in the reverse or opposite of what you see on each piece. That is, whatever is raised on the finished piece, is recessed in the mold. Conversely, whatever is recessed on the finished piece, is raised in the mold.

Once the mold is built, clear glass is crushed into coarse granules as well as a fine powder, similar to flour. Colored pigment is added to powdered glass. Next water and a binder are mixed with the coarse glass granules to form the “paste.”

Once all the glass is prepared, the colored powdered glass is brushed into the appropriate areas of the mold. This gives color to the finished piece. Most of Clayton’s work combine one or two colored areas. Once the color is laid in place, then the paste of glass is pressed into the mold, covering the colored areas.

The prepared mold is placed into a kiln and fired to a temperature just below the melting point of the glass. This insures that the granules fuse together yet retain their shape.

After the oven cools the pieces are removed from the mold, which is broken and discarded. Thus each piece is a one-of- kind. The pieces are then cleaned and placed in an electroforming bath where copper is applied to the edges. The electroplating allows for the appearance of a very delicate edge with the addition of structural integrity. Some works have two halves that are joined together. The vessel is then placed back in the electroplating bath where the joints are plated completing the bond using actual metal. Once this is complete the bowl is cleaned; the metal is polished or patinated and sealed.