The just-published book Kiln-Formed Glass: Over 25 Projects for Fused and Slumped Designs (St. Martin Griffin, $24.99) by British illustrator and glass artist Gillian Hulse offers novice students 25 glass projects that range from panels to plates to jewelry. Each project is clearly explained with before and after pictures, a step-by-step description, a list of equipment and materials needed, and a technical discussion. The book briefly (perhaps too briefly) touches on cutting techniques, kilns, kiln furniture, annealing, and the essential tools for the kiln-forming process. While Hulse does a very good job at articulating these simple projects through clear descriptions and quality photographs, the focus seems to be on hand-holding so that a beginner can duplicate her designs rather than encouraging creative expression.
The projects that Ms. Hulse leads readers through are a shallow dip into the expansive and growing world of kiln-forming. Readers are instructed to mimic her very “crafty” aesthetic rather than to think as an artist. While the book does make kiln-forming accessible to the total novice it does not lay the foundations of creative expression as do other beginner books, such as Kiln Firing Glass: Glass Fusing Book One by Boyce Lundstrom (with Bullseye founder Dan Schwoerer).