Just What Every Artist Wants To See....NOT!

I donate my work to lots of non-profits. 

Look closely below.

See it??

Yes, that's one coaster from a set of four that was

donated to a favorite non-profit...or should I say

"previous favorite" non-profit???  :/

Someone who works at this particular institution thought it would be

funny to send me a thank you note for the art glass coaster

that's helping to stabilize a piece of electrical equipment.

hmmmm?  Not sure how I feel about this?

How would you react??

KAKM Art Showcase Auction ~

As the season premier for Downton Abby on Masterpiece Theatre

starts this weekend I'm reminded of how much I appreciate

Public Radio & TV.

If you're a PBS fan here's a way you can support your habit too!

If you're an artist, donate a piece of your work to the annual

Art Showcase Auction.  If you're a listener, become a

patron by bidding on some great art or donate

cash for a membership!

As a long time supporter & member, I donate a piece of art

every year.  I think it's been over 20 years of donation

& it's been a pleasure.

Here's my art glass piece for this year's event ~

A large 16" glass sculpture.

This can be mounted on a wall, placed in a stand,

or used functionally as a serving platter.

Best of all it's dishwasher safe!  :)

KAKM Art Showcase Auction

SAT. & SUN. FEBRUARY 11 & 12, 2012

PreBuy Open House at APTI 1:00 – 5:00 pm

THURS., FRI. & SAT. FEBRUARY 16, 17 & 18

Live on KAKM Channel 7 TV

Call 907.550.8432 for tickets and more info!

Man...Stop the Snow!

We've had over 15 inches of snow in the past few days!

While my husband & son shoveled us out

I worked overtime in the studio in anticipation of the upcoming

Crafts Emporium!!



Can you guess what inspired this piece??

I'm working on lots of new work & also dyed-up some beautiful

cut velvet scarves.

Crafts Emporium

November 19th & 20th

Dena'ina Convention Center

Anchorage, Alaska

See you there!



Thanks Finnskimo!

One of the blogs that I read regularly is Finnskimo.

It's written by Maija who lives in  Kotzebue, Alaska.

She's a talented woman who writes about her life & art in the bush ~

She writes & shares about her creations & loves to sew.  She casually chats  & shows the things she whips up ~ it's amazing!  She recently showed a few sheared beaver hats that she had made & was selling so I thought that William needed one ~

one can never have too many hats when living in Alaska.

Here he is wearing his new hat! 

So warm & stylish!

So perfect to wear while working with clay in the studio!

 

My happy boy.

 No front teeth but a warm & beautiful hat custom made by Maija!

Thanks Maija ~ we love it!!

Buddy the Blood Drop!

Meet Buddy the Blood Drop!

Buddy works at the Alaska Blood Bank promoting blood donation.

William met Buddy the Blood Drop at a festival this past fall while I was there selling my work.

There was a contest for children to draw their interpretation of Buddy &

William won 1st place for his artwork! 

William's drawing of Buddy will serve as the new logo for the Blood Bank.

Good job Will!

Now can you help me with a logo project I'm working on??

Milleforie Revisited ~

When an artist works in glass the

techniques & possibilities are endless!

People always ask me about "stained glass" or label "fused  glass" (kiln-fired) as "stained glass."  I've never done stained glass or really have a desire to do it.  I crack up when people say..."oh, you must have patience to do this..."   PATIENCE? 
 Ahhhh, that would be a big negatory people. 
My Mom's mantra to me as a child was...."patience, child, patience." 
I consider it my good karma to not be drawn to stained glass work.

I appreciate it ~ I just don't want to do it!!

 I originally worked in hot glass which is glass processes in the 2000 F (1093 Celsius) degree range which includes glass blowing & torch work.  Warm glass is in the 1000 to 1700 (537 - 926 Celsius) degree range.  Actually, anything up from room temperature is considered "warm".  Cold working glass includes stained glass & finishing techniques such as grinding, sanding, cutting, etc.  Often pieces are hot or warm worked ~ then cold worked & then fire polished....which typically means putting it back in the kiln & "warming" the little sucker back up to about 1000 degrees to smooth & make the edges shiny. 

OK ~ a little background. 
Since I used to work exclusive in hot glass I'm pretty comfortable around torches & furnaces.  I used to make lots of beads & then as I got into fusing made lots of component parts on the torch for my fusing & glass blowing.  I love to make murrini & do mini roll-ups.  It's like quilting...making all the component parts, re-cutting & combining to make more complex & intricate pieces that give the "wow" factor in your art.

One technique on the torch is to "pull cane" or build "milleforie."  There's ways to do it in fusing.  One technique is the "rod pod." 

Here's a picture of the "rod pod"  mold. 

A mold is a bisque form layered with glass wash to form warm glass.

Here's a side view. 

 It looks like little troughs that you fill with glass & then fuse together into rods & then the rods are cut cross section.  Each little cross section are their own little art piece & these can be built together into larger more complex pieces.

Here's an example of torch worked milleforie.  Many people recognize "milleforie" as an Italian word.  It means "many flowers" & in reality is just a technique for layering glass.  It's not strictly a technique owned by Italian glass workers. 

The Italian's have just popularized it & made it recognizable.



Here's how to do it in the rod pod. 

 I usually cut some lengths of glass ~ rods & stringers in about 6 inch lengths.  This length fits in my rod pod & if I don't like the combination I don't have hundreds of chips to use.

Quick shot of a rod in the center with 1mm stringers around the rod & then a layer of larger 2mm rods.  I tape them in place using this "satin" finish tape.  It disappears during the firing.

(that's worth a post in & of it's self ~ note to self)

Here's the roll up in the rod pod...taped up like a mummy!

Four different colored rods taped together.  After taking this photo I noticed ~ for the first time ~ that one of the rods has a blue center!   Geez.....what a loser I am!

That's important as it adds another dimension to the finished piece. 

Here's a few roll ups in the rod pod fired at 1400 degrees Fahrenheit.  They are

 ...just.... starting ....to ....stick... together ...

but there's still lots of distinction. 

 I was worried that if I tried to cut them apart they would break into pieces....so...

 

Here they are fired at 1425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Melted together but still good color distinction.

The following are three separate pieces that were created from milleforie.

FLOWERS

 

STARS

My Favorite ~ CIRCLES.

I'm A Winner!!

Yeah!

I'm a winner at Kim Roger's Numinosity Blog!

I've never won anything on-line before....

except when I got that email from an exiled

African Princess wanting to deposit 2 Mill in my checking account!

Woo-hoo...!

Anyway, thanks Kim!

I'm looking forward to my treasures.

If you need some inspiration head over to her

wonderful blog filled with creative ideas!

Spiral Bracelets ~

I'm loving these new spiral bracelets!

The bracelet base metal is German silver

which has copper in the silver instead of nickel.

Nickel is the component metal in sterling that hardens the silver.

Without nickel or another metal such as the copper

the pure silver is much too soft to hold its shape or design.

These are easy to put on the wrist & are very comfortable to adjust.

Plus, they stay shiny & bright!

I created the "confetti" style dichroic

pieces which add the WOW factor!

Fall Is In The Air

Fall is in the air!

Cold & brisk in the morning with sunny warm afternoons!

I love the fall. I think it's the memory.

Memory of starting school in the fall.

The excitement of everything new. New clothes, \

new supplies (new paper & crayons still give me a thrill),

new experiences, & new friends!

The cool mornings walking quietly on the sidewalk and thinking.

I guess I was always a thinker & the time walking to school was my meditation.

Quiet time alone is a gift & something so precious & valuable.

If given a choice between a party & being home alone I'd always choose to be home...cooking, eating, working in the studio.

My "little grey cells" are revisiting these experiences through my son.

He's started kindergarten. (sob!)

(I won't go into the whole gory story of the Charter School &

Optional School issues in Anchorage but it's a nightmare &

worthy of another post or letter to the editor)

And we walk to school almost every morning.

Quietly

Talking

Singing

Saying rhymes

It's my meditation

It's a special time to walk with your child & reflect on meaningful things,

These are the things I hope I always remember ~ even if I have Alzheimer's.

As we walk....we talk.

And we collect.

We collect little memories for our table altar.

Little do-dads like leaves, rose hips, pine cones, a rock, a dead worm, rain, a stray candy wrapper, a weed, a dried flower blossom, grass... you get the idea.

All these items lead to discussion. "Why is the rain gone???"

"Let's have a burial for the worm"

"why would someone throw a wrapper on the earth?"

We are not lacking for dinner conversation at our house!

Fun at the Spenard Market!

It was a fun & successful day at the

Spenard Farmer's Market!

A day of visiting with friends ~ like Atta with

Far North Yarn Shop.

Purchasing art supplies from Blaines' Art Supply.

These are watercolor pencils ~ stick them in water then draw & paint

on watercolor paper as usual. I already have a couple sets of these but they

are a lesser quality. These are perfect for backpacking!

You can NEVER have too many art supplies.

Enjoying a slushy at the market.....

hummmm.....yes, that was delicious!

And ~ Selling some ART!
Thanks Lar for helping me out with my booth.

Next week we're off to Denail National Park where I will be a feaured artist in the park!

Textures of Hawaii

It's hard to believe a month has passed since we were in Hawaii. The studio has been crazy busy with shipments going out everyday, accordion gigs, honey bee checks, spring gardening & getting ready for an exciting trip to Denali park for work & family fun!

After going through my Hawaii pictures I thought I'd post a few that I took while hiking with my family. I found these images very inspirational. I've always loved photography & in the past even had my own darkroom for developing black & white photos. Textures, tints, & shadows are also important in glass ~ these were / are ideas to incorporate into my work.

Footprints. I love the grandules of sand...looks like frit.

Tire tracks. The sand looks so creamy.

Lava rock. Bubbles & shadows.

Pod cluster. Interesting group. The ridges look like a ladder.

King spider in web. This was so beautiful as the morning light sparkled on the

web ~ it looked like glitter. I took a whole series of photos as the light

changed.

My darling child surfing!

Art or Graffitti?

Is graffiti art?

I'm contemplating painting my house this summer so I'm pursuing paint chip charts & trying samples on the walls. In assessing the condition of the

walls I've come across graffiti in my own home!

Here's a small sampling ~

A face. In purple PERMANENT Sharpie marker.

My love of Sharpies is coming back to bite me.

I was told that Rudi-pa-tuti (our golden retriever) drew this....Who knew she was so talented!?!

Then there's the big "W" with a circle around it on the side of the sofa...yes, again the Sharpie marker but this time in black. It looks like a brand, don't you think?

I was again told that "Rudi" did this but I'm not buying it.

Here's my favorite. Little hearts & stars drawn in red Sharpie, cut out,

& taped on the wall under another framed piece.
I know Rudi didn't make these as she can't get her paws in the scissors loops...yet!

I'm re-thinking my painting.

Glass Houses ~ (again)

The neighborhood is expanding!

I'm working on another large piece to donate to the Anchorage Museum's Annual Gala fundraiser.
Here's the raw layout in the kiln. I usually look through the large pieces of scrap I have & try to piece together a basic layout & then add specifically cut pieces as I need to add dimension.

The clear piece is laid under the other colored pieces & will form a structure for another embellishment (see below) that I'm going to add in a second firing. I often write notes, draw sketches & outline shapes with a "sharpie" marker on the glass. It works great & fires off without any residue. I should buy stock because I love these markers & buy big packs of them at Costco (my other favorite shop & "No" they're not paying me to say that :) )



Here's the "embellishment." That's right people! Get ready because Aliens are Invading Anchorage! The actual name of this piece will be "Aliens Over Anchorage."

I had originally fired another piece & fired in a heavy coiled wire & thought I could tack fuse the space ship on to the coil!!! "WRONG TAMARA".....as my 5 year would tell me. Yes, the little old man disguised as a 5 year old calls me "Tamara" & sometimes "Tammy" because he knows I really, really, really hate being called Tammy. There's a little twinkle in his eye when he says it & I have no idea where he every got "Tammy" because no one ...no one...calls me "Tammy."


The Mother Ship was fired separately & at a lower temperature from the base glass unit. Temperature was 1385 degrees F for about 18 minutes.


Here's the basic glass foundation post full fuse (1500 degrees F). I have "plans" for this! Lots of embellishment with dichroic images & three dimensional glass at a tack fuse. I like this stage ~ the foundation is in & now the decorating begins....or rather the journey has just begun!

Beam me up! I'm ready!

Artist Struggles

Martha Graham said:

“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening
That is translated through you into action,
And because there is only one of you in all of time
This expression is unique.
And if you block it,
It will never exist through any other medium,
And be lost.
The world will not have it.
It is not your business to determine how good it is,
Nor how valuable, or how it compares with other expressions.
It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly,
to stay open and aware to the urges that motivate you.“

The BIG Nightlight Project

Remodeling a home can be a challenge ~ especially on an older home. Sometimes there are obstacles to overcome & sometimes the obstacles become opportunities.



This installation was designed for an entry way where a stairway wall & a bearing wall left a space 2 feet wide by almost 9 feet. The contractor wanted to box it in with drywall but how boring is that??? Right, lets make a mistake & then we'll just drywall over the mistake & later you can figure out what or how to make it better (?). During this particular remodel I heard a lot of "well, you can tile over it," or "a little caulk will fix that." These are not words a perfectionist likes to hear!

Here's my fix on a contractor's blunder.

The top is a series of 4 large panels with a "ribbon" of grass meandering down the middle. The cubes & blocks along the edges represent structure in the environment & tie into some of the other glass designs in the home. Sort of a nature meets city theme in an abstract way. I added the bubbles later as I laying out the glass in the kiln. As it came together I realized it had evolved as an underwater theme & carried over to a large mermaid sculptures on an adjacent walk going down the stairs. I especially like the bubbles / floating circles as they add contrast & have an organic feel that ties in well with the wavy underwater sea grass.

The front of the light box is one large panel (about 2 feet wide by 38" in height). It slips into the wooden strip of wood with slot & fastens on the top with brackets. It's easy to turn the brackets & just lift out the front glass. I wanted the front panel removable so there was access to the light strip for ease in changing the bulb. This panel was fired a second time at a tack fuse to add the course, clear, frit . The frit provides more dimension & sparkle ~ it's the first thing you see when you come in the front door.

IMHO I think it turned out pretty well ~ everyone is happy. Glass is a perfect buliding material for Alaskan homes where we experience short days & limited light so I think this nightlight is a perfect fit for this unusual space!

Once In A Blue Moon

I'm a little late in posting this but 12/31/09 was a Blue Moon. Such a special event that we celebrated by enjoying fireworks & sipping champagne! Here's a few facts so you'll be prepared next time:

December 31, 2009, New Year's Eve blue moon is the first since 1990. Another won't roll around for another 19 years. The blue moon is expected to be visible to New Year's Eve celebrants across the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America and Africa, according to the AP's Alicia Chang. And in New York City, the full moon competed with the glittery ball dropping in Times Square.

The name has nothing to do with its color (although a moon can sometimes appear bluish from the smoke of a forest fire or the ash of a volcano). The old expression, "once in a blue moon," has more to do with something that is rare, special, uncommon, even absurd--but not impossible.

The most popular current definition of a blue moon is the second full moon in a calendar month. A full moon occurred on December 2 and tonight's will be the second, a phenomenon that occurs every 2.5 years (the next will be in August, 2012). But the New Year's Eve blue moon is more exceptional. The next won't occur until 2028.

There's another way of counting blue moons that dates back to medieval times. Since 1819, the Maine Farmers Almanac has listed the dates for blue moons based on a seasonal counting system: in a season which has four full moons instead of the usual three, the third full moon is the special one, the "blue moon." By that method, tonight's full moon is the first of the winter season but doesn't actually qualify as "blue." The twice-in-a-month definition of blue moon is a more modern interpretation that is credited to a 1946 article in Sky & Telescope magazine.

The 'blue moon' expression itself dates back to old England. A 1528 work by William Barlow, the Bishop of Chichester, the Treatyse of the Buryall of the Masse, included a reference to a blue moon:

"Yf they saye the mone is belewe, We must beleve that it is true."

I believe in blue moons & I'm giving you fair notice for the next one in 2028...Don't say I didn't warn you! Happy New Year again!

Casting Blunder...er BLUNDERS!?!

My mini casting project is progressing albeit minor set-backs. It all started out OK or so I thought (false hope!).

Here's the next 3 small 2"x2" clay positives that I molded out of porcelain clay. I put them all together in one container to a make a larger casting mold...I'm feeling good about this!

Here's the casting mold after it hardened to a "leather hard" firmness. This is the drying state where you still have time to clean-up the edges & image before pre-firing the mold.

Still looking good with less undercuts from last time but a few more bubbles in the mix ~ which results in holes in the mold. I mixed the Master Mold a bit thicker after researching on line that it should be like "thick pudding." Now in hindsight, this was a mistake because I had a hard time removing the bubbles.

OK ~ so I cleaned up the mold, fired it, & then started to pack it with glass. This time I thought I'd try more of the powdered frit instead of the more coarser grind. Stacked it high....hmmm...thinking I'd get thinner discs that would flow into the 2"x2" square. Wishful thinking!

Post-firing. Little, beady, eyes!! Yep, the powdered frit shrunk into small cubes. The mold cracked right down the center, however, everything popped out pretty well so I think I can cast two more eyes.

Here's the four castings so far ~ I think I had beginners luck on the first eye. The other three need coldwork clean-up but they'll look cool incorporated into another larger glass piece.

Casting Tip Sheet

Was going through old emails early this morning & found an email from Bullseye Glass Co. about a new "tip sheet" on casting. How interesting I found it just as I'm working on my small casting samples.

Here's a link if you're interested & want to see how it really should be done!

Casting Experiment ~ The Eye's Have It

Will & I are working with clay. 50 pounds of clay that I've been moving around for a couple of years. I've had plans to make my own molds & to experiment with casting glass. So, instead of working on my year end accounting & 2010 catalog we're playing with the clay!



A few years ago I had wanted to do a whole First Friday show at the gallery around the idea of "Eyes." I love eyes. The symbolism of eyes. The mythology of eyes. The power of eyes. The mystery, the color, shape. Need I go on? Another artist I know poo-pooed my idea until she saw another artist's work sort of related about body parts in an article in Smithsonian....ah-ha...then my idea had validity. Don't you love it when you're right? Not that someone's opinion would stop me from doing what I want too anyway! :)

Here's the start of a small casting project. First make a positive model in clay.

Second, cast it with mold mix. I use "Master Mold Mix." The clay model is secured to the bottom of a small container with soft clay. These are 2" x 2" cubes so I'm just casting them in a small, reinforced, box but for larger castings a frame needs to be built around the model. The mix needs to be thick & creamy so it pours out smoothly & fills in all the small nooks & crannies. After the mix is dry (about 45 minutes on a piece this size) flip it over & remove the soft clay. The mold mix is still soft so there's time to so some addition carving & clean-up. Then it gets fired in a slow firing to dry & harden the mold.

Brush with Bullseye kiln wash ~ three coats in opposite directions. Bullseye shelf primer/wash is made specifically for use with glass ~ not ceramics. When the wash is dry start packing with glass.

Fire slowly to about 1450 degrees, anneal, & slow cool. Don't you love my specific kiln schedule here? Sorry, but firing schedules are boring so I program mine into the computers on my kilns & then adjust them depending on the actual piece going into the kiln. The schedule varies a lot depending on the size & depth of the glass. I keep a kiln journal to document my successes & failures...er," learning opportunities."

Here's the finished piece which turned out OK. It needed more glass to fill the corners but I purposely didn't overfill the mold as I the edges were slightly undercut & I was worried about breaking the mold ~ I was hoping the glass would pop out & I could use the mold again. Unfortunately, the mold cracked & then broke apart. I've since tried to repair it & may try to use it again with blocks around it to contain the glass during the firing. Typically, castings are done in plaster of paris molds that are used one time. The casting needs some coldworking to clean it up & remove any sharp edges.

I have four more little eyes & spirals so I can experiment with more color. This is fun. Maybe it's the beginning of a series?