Sunday, May 31, 2015

Pot Melts


Until a few weeks ago, I’d never heard of a “pot melt.”  It sounds vaguely illegal, but it actually refers to (1) a technique used by fused glass artists; or (2) the product created by the technique.  In simple terms, this is how you do a pot melt:  Place some pieces of glass into a ceramic pot that has a few holes in the bottom.  Prepare a steel ring by lining it with Fiberfrax, a material that prevents glass from sticking to the metal.  Place the pot in a kiln, supported by a piece of “kiln furniture,” so that it is suspended over the ring.  During the firing, the glass melts and pours out of the holes in the pot and fills the ring. 

Doing a pot melt is something of an adventure because you don’t know exactly what the resulting piece will look like.  I used a pot with three holes to create the piece you see below.  It’s approximately 6 inches in diameter.  I love the organic quality of the design a pot melt produces.  

The finished pot melt
 
The pot and ring

The pot filled with glass

It took a lot of work to clean up the edges of the pot melt.  I used a belt sander and a lap grinder to smooth the outside of the circle.  Now that I’ve made a pot melt, I can slump it (for example, I could turn it into a bowl) or use it as a component in a larger piece.  I’m still considering the options.  In the meantime, I'm eager to do some more pot melts! 

Friday, May 22, 2015

Recycled Glass


At a recent class at Workhouse Arts Center, we experimented with recycling a sheet of ordinary tempered (safety) glass.  Using a neat tool called an auto punch, we shattered the glass and carefully scooped up the pieces.  You’ll notice that the glass has a pale greenish tint.  Then we arranged them in the desired shape and fired them.  This method allows you to create amorphously shaped works.  The tempered glass can’t be combined with the glass we normally use for our projects because the two types of glass have different COEs (coefficients of expansion).  I sprinkled some mica powder on the glass dish that I made and slumped it into a shallow bowl.  If you have any tempered or plate glass that you’d like to get rid of, please let me know.  I might be able to recycle it!  

Fragments of tempered glass, ready for firing


 
After firing (full fuse)

After slumping

Friday, May 15, 2015

Small Is Beautiful


I like making small pieces because it’s a great way to try new ideas of design and technique.  The size I often use is a 4-inch square, gently slumped to form a shallow dish that can hold a variety of objects, from food (nuts, olives, etc.) to jewelry.

The first two pieces feature stringers, i.e. long, very thin rods of glass.  Stringers come in a variety of colors.  To make stripes, I place the stringers into reeded clear glass.  One side of the reeded glass has rows of grooves or channels just the right size to hold a stringer.  For the black and white striped piece, I placed a stringer into each channel.  The stringers are black and white opaque glass.  Opaque glass does not allow light to pass through.  The red “frit” was tack fired onto the piece following the full fuse.  
I recently sold this piece at the Mantua Made Market.
The next piece is a “bubble” piece.  You’ll notice the plaid pattern, formed by using stringers in two pieces of reeded glass.  Once the stringers are glued into place, one piece of reeded glass is placed on top of the other piece, at a right angle.  This forms the plaid pattern and creates tiny air pockets, which result in bubbles.  Most of the stringers in this piece are transparent glass, which means that light shines through them.  

4-inch "bubble" piece - $35.

The last 4-inch piece was made last fall (2014) using a special clear Bullseye glass containing bits of green and red – perfect for the Christmas season.  This piece is still available.

4-inch square - $25
If you are interested in purchasing any of these pieces, or if you would like to special-order a piece, please contact me.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Draped Pieces


Draping is a way to shape a piece of fused glass.  The shaping is the final step in the process of creating a piece.  After you’ve fused the piece, you place the flat glass over a cylinder and fire it in the kiln.  As the glass heats up, its weight causes it to drape down.  It’s impossible to predict the exact finished shape of a draped piece.  Large draped pieces can be used as vases.  Smaller draped pieces can be used as tea light holders. 






Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Mantua Made Market Preview


Just in time for Mother’s Day, local artists and craftspeople will be selling their creations at the spring Mantua Made Market this coming Saturday.  Unique art and craft items make perfect gifts! 

The market will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2015, from 10 am to 1 pm in the parking lot of the Mantua Swim and Tennis Club.  Our beautiful Mantua community is especially lovely at this time of year, with all the azaleas and dogwoods in bloom.  Come out and enjoy the fine weather (we hope!), good company, and live music as you stroll through the market.  Food and beverages will be available for purchase. 

Matthew Thompson and I are delighted to be participating in our second Mantua Made Market.  At the fall 2014 show, we had a very encouraging response to our fused glass work.  This time, I’ll be showing approximately 20 fused glass pieces and will be happy to take special orders. 

Four of my creations are featured in the market flyer (below).  In the coming days, I’ll post more photos of my work in this blog.