Yoda is ready to hang in Shay's bedroom window.  Hopefully it inspires pleasant dreams (no light-sabre fighting!)

Yoda - coming along

Added a bit of line detail with fusible paint (bisterbrown) -- back in the kiln.

Added some shading.... back in the kiln once more.

Christmas is coming --- for grandkids...

I have just completed this glass mosaic mirror for my little granddaughter (Shhhh! Don't tell - it's part of her Christmas gift). Her bedroom is decorated in a jungle theme - and she loves monkeys - maybe because she was born in the 'year of the monkey' -- or maybe just because they are so cute (like she is!)

I have just begun the piece for her brother -- who is not a fan of monkey -- much more interested in 'Star Wars' characters.  He has told me in the past that he would like a glass piece of Yoda -- so here it comes.
Step one just went into the fusing kiln this afternoon.

The very first step, of course, was to come up with a plan.  I will fuse the figure of Yoda and use traditional stained glass (copper foil method) to complete the piece.  Yoda will be fused first.  I start with a clear piece of fusible glass and layer the colored glass pieces on top.

Now Yoda heads into the kiln -- at a contour fusing temperature -- Next step will be to add details with fusible paint.... stay posted.

'Eagle over the Lake'

The eagle is finished -- ready for installation.

Eagle over the Lake

I have just begun work on a commission piece.
This is the sketch I have come up with.... Now... to work....

'Nesting Loon'

Step 1- Lay out the background of the piece.  I added some frit to the nest and some stringers to suggest reeds.
Full fuse firing.

Step 2: Add some details to the fused piece.  More reeds, more detail to the nest, a dichroic dragonfly.
Contour fuse.

Step 3:  The contour fused piece is placed on a sconce mold and returned to the kiln for a drape fusing.

Step 4: Fusible paint is used to add feather details and fused once more.

Sunflowers and a Tree

Sunflowers are ready for the plater... as is this tree.

Starting to assemble the sunflowers

Ready for the kiln

Fused

How many petals do I need?

petals- many shapes; many sizes

Slumped

slum the petals

Wrapped in lead; begin to solder

Well the petals are cut... the centres have been fused.... some of the petals have been slumped to give them some CURVE!  Spent most of the day wrapping the pieces with lead came.  It was more challenging than I anticipated to wrap the curved pieces -- Have started the assembly....

Sunflowers... add a dimension

I have done many sunflower pieces in the past -- I love sunflowers (almost as much as pelicans!).  I generally make these in a 3-D format using stained glass wrapped in lead came.... and plated with nickel on completion.   My intention now is to add a dimension to these by curving the petals and leaves in my kiln - to make them more realistic.
Step 1 will be to come up with a rough sketch of the design.  It need only be a rough approximation -- to indicate size and location of elements of the piece.  Each piece of glass will be cut freehand - so no pattern will be used.
Here is the rough sketch...

The circle represents the brass ring that I will use as the base for the piece.

Check out new pics in the gallery!

Tempered Bowl/dish drape experiment

Well, it was worth a try.  I think the piece was a bit too thick to actually drape nicely all around.  However, it turned out to be an interesting shape, which I think I will use somehow...

Dragon and Wizard win an award!!

The Dragon and Wizard won "Best Stained Glass" category
at the Prairie Art Show last night.  Whooopeee!!!!

The tempered glass bowls are ready

I am pleased with this deeper bowl.

This is a bit shallow -- may reslump in deeper mold.
Have a thought to experiment with a drape on this one.
It might fall apart -- I'll display the result!

Making a Tempered Glass Bowl

Our patio table top was destroyed in a storm last fall.  I salvaged the little glass cubes, cleaned them and hope to create a couple of unique bowls from them.  I arranged the glass pieces on thinfire in my kiln -- in 2 circles -- 13" and 10 1/2"-- which will fit 2 bowl molds I intend to use.  The glass will be subjected to a full fuse schedule in the kiln overnight and hopefully will retain texture, but be fused together.  We'll see....

Dragon and Wizard are done

The end has come.  The piece has been foiled, patina'd and polished.  Will still need to paint the frame.  Have a look.

Dragon and Wizard

Back to the Wizard and Dragon

Finally home from winter sojourn and getting back to the Wizard and Dragon - still sitting on my work table.  I'm pretty happy with the fused piece.  Next step is to plan the foreground and background.  The foreground needs some rocks -- and because the Wizard is standing on one and the Dragon is behind some -- needed to create some perspective.  I did this by fusing 2 layers of glass together to create thicker rocks or by foiling together 2 or 3 layers.
Now for the background.  It has taken a few days to cut and fit the pieces together.

Next step will be to finish the background and border, install the zinc frame, foil and solder all the pieces together -- and finally to patina the copper seams with black patina and polish the finishe piece.