Time to stretch a bit

I recently got the latest issue of the online 'Fused Glass Projects Magazine'.  A contributor, Gil Reynolds, described a process to create what he calls 'flow bars' -- a glass bar with a pattern running through -- something like the spiral pattern inside a jelly roll.  Sounds intriguing -- so worth a try.  The process involves suspending a stack of glass atop a couple of stainless steel rods suspended above a 'box' to collect the liquid glass.

Once the fusing was complete (about 24 hours later), the 'brick' of glass was sliced into strips using a tile saw.  I trimmed the pieces to align evenly and placed them back in the kiln. Because glass wants to be 1/4 inch thick, I dammed the piece to preserve its shape.

Now, what to do with the piece.  I decided to make a dish.  I used a clear base and arranged the elements of the dish on top.  Back into the kiln.

I love the way the clear areas allows light through to highlight the other design elements.

The final step was to slump the piece in a shallow mood to complete the dish.

Well since this worked quite well, I thought I'd try a larger and thicker set up.  The initial fusing went well -- but I had a rather hard time cutting the strips afterward.  I have a few intact strips and many colorful pieces -- so my challenge now will be how to use them.....

Summer is coming to an end

First chance I've had to sit down and think about glass for awhile.  Kids are back at school -- gardens are littered with falling leaves (hiding all the weeds!) --- so it's time to get back to work.
One of the many highlights of my summer was seeing my grandchildren 'getting into' glass.  My little entrepreneurial granddaughter (8 years old) and her brother (6 years) have been busy making night lights -- which have been selling well in my studio and in a local gift shop.

Here are a couple of examples of their exceptional creativity.













A Prairie scene that I had in a Winnipeg gallery sold over the summer -- and I have been asked to make another for a customer that missed out.

It is quite similar to the first one as requested....

Beginning the background

Adding some detail to the background
-then into the kiln for a full fuse

The foreground is done
separately and full fused as well.

The fused background gets more detail and is fused again.

A clear layer is sandwiched between the background
and the foreground and is full fused.

Finally the piece is draped over a mold and fired once again.


I  was recently asked to create a small heart-shaped grandmother's pendant -- with birthstone (colored glass) pieces to  represent six grandchildren.  I have posted pictures on my website.  Check it out at www.purplepelicanartglass.com

Back at it!

It has been a long time since I last updated this blog -- with a good excuse.  Since returning home from my winter home, I have been madly preparing for an Open House in my studio -- and in a moment of pure insanity -- agreed to open my garden to a Tour.  Needless to say, I am suffering the arthritic consequence of too much weeding and cutting glass.
The actual event was a screaming success!  We hosted at least 350 people.  My children were here to help and my husband was very busy in the outdoor kitchen baking pizzas in the bake oven and serving wine to the guests.  My sister was the official wrapper and money handler.  My children acted as greeters and refreshment servers -- as well as creating a huge number of pizzas for dad to bake.  My granddaughter, Signy (8 years), is a budding entrepreneur and artist herself.  She set up a special stand to display and sell the fused glass night lights that she and her 6 year-old brother created.  They sold all 20 of them -- and even got an invitation from a local gift shop owner to display them in her shop!

Here are some pictures of the set up for the event.

Thank you everyone! 

Yikes -- first post since March!  Back at home at the Lake -- gardens to weed - house to clean --- but back to work in the studio!  Open House in the studio in July -- work to do!

Started this piece at the Barn in Phoenix -- too many bubbles -- so I cut a big piece off - refired it to polish the edges -- and mounted the eagle above the piece -- hoping to add dimension....

I had started this Polar Bear piece before leaving for the winter .. still need to make a stand to display it...

I needed to take a break from fusing -- so thought I'd do a mosaic..... here is the result....

I am now working on another multi-layer Prairie scene....

Background. -- first fire..

Bkgrd - second fire...

Foreground....

I will layer a clear between for depth -- and see what happens.....

Prairie scene finished

The multi-layered Prairie scene is finished.  It is about 3/4" thick.  I slumped it over a sconce mold so that it would be self-standing.
I am happy with the thickness -- and no troublesome big bubbles -- though there are a lot of small ones in the sky -- which I kind of like.  I would do the clouds differently next time (I'm told that the left one looks like a space ship!).  The grasses in front are not as I envisioned -- I would probably dispense with the stringers and just use powdered glass in a medium (CMC) to 'paint' them on.  The background is not as crisp as I would wish -- would use thicker layer of frit next time.....
I learned a lot with this piec and plan to try another -- slightly different scene... soon.....

BUT... here is a piece that I am quite happy with.....

I plan to layer a few images to create a woodland scene with some depth.  What I really want is to look INTO the piece.... This was step one ---a hint of sky, some forest colors -- somewhat mirror images - though not exactly.  I fired these 2 pieces separately.

I placed the 2 layers together and fused them again.

I created the tree trunks (2 layers) and fused them on their own -- separate from the main piece -- then layered them on top and added some frit bushes to the side, the illusion on leaves on the tree trunks and put the piece back in the kiln.   I did a tack fuse to preserve the dimension.

I am quite pleased with the result.

ANOTHER PIECE  - A NEW EXPERIMENT

A frit painting

My goal here, is to create a picture with a mood.  The drawing is below the glass as a guide to the placement of the frit.  I spent hours creating frit of many colors ahead of time.  I outlined the key elements with 'liquid stringer' (using black powdered frit in a CMC medium) -- applied with a squeeze bottle.

 

Once all the color was applied I added a border.  (Next time, I would do the border first!).  The entire piece was covered with a sprinking of fine clear frit first -- followed by a layer of medium frit.

It went into the kiln for a full fuse.

The final step was to frame the piece with zinc came.  I am pleased with the result.  The actual piece is not as blue as it appears here -- the photographer's (me) fault -- as it picked up the color of the blue sky outside the window.

Prairie Scene -- in progress






This piece will depict (I hope) a typical
Prairie scene... with prairie grasses in the fore-
ground and farm fields in the background.
For the grasses, I started by 'painting'
some frit onto the glass (CMC and glass
powder applied with a squeeze bottle.



I have used a candle to bend some glass
stringers which I will place on the piece
and glue down with hairspray (works great).

                                                                                                                           



The background will be created on a second piece of glass.
More to come......



Jazz Man - experiment with CMC and frit



I placed a clear sheet of glass
over the image I was using.
The first step was to outline
key shapes using the CMC and
powdered glass frit.  I then started
to sprinkle colored frit to fill in the areas

I wanted colored.



  

I added a border.

Once all the colored frit was in place,
I sprinkled clear glass fine and coarse frit
over the entire scene.

A zinc frame and hooks for hanging will complete this piece.