"It is the spiritual aspect of the Salmon that gives me inspiration. Each individual fish, one of millions, has that aura of immortality, of a life given with purpose, sustaining and enriching the other lives it contacts.

The Process:
   Each fish is one of a kind. I begin by carving a clay Salmon. I give this clay fish as much character and detail as I can. This is what my finished cast glass surface will be like. When I'm happy with my clay fish, I'll coat him or her in a plaster/refractory mix. When that sets, I'll weed the clay from the mold. In the meantime, I will have fused a glass fish skin, giving it the colouration and surface iridescence that I want. The mold is cleaned, volume determined and loaded with glass for eye. fins and other detail elements, then glass skin and finally glass billet to weight. Each glass Salmon can weigh as much as 25 pounds. It is fired for as many as 7 days. When cooled the glass filled mold will come out of the kiln, the plaster/refractory is broken away, leaving a Glass Salmon. Some finishing and cold working of the glass maybe required. Then it is return to the kiln for another 7 day 'Swim' firing. I then hand the Glass Salmon over to steel sculptor Nelson Shaw for the creation of the metal reed grass bases. Presented with the original concept of how the bases should look, Nelson will add his creativity to the individual personality of each Salmon sculpture. Finally, I collect and glue river rocks to the base and clear coat the steel to complete the work."
- Christopher Smith -