True Sea ZEN ing.

Over the past month or so, I have really gotten into making glass tropical fish, albeit a little whimsical.  As soon as I finish one, I come up with another idea.  

The first couple of fish I created, I did so for fun.  I didn't know what to do with them, so I put steel stakes on them and stuck them in my plants on my deck.  They looked at home in the plants!  It also added color and everyone who notices them, smiles. 

This led to an idea.  I decided to enter an arts and crafts show in December.... my first ever.  These fish would be my product.  I thought they would make cute holiday gifts.  

 Fish are mounted on steel stakes so they can be used to liven up indoor or outdoor plants.  They are a great addition to a patio or deck!
Each creation in "the Bimini Series" is named, numbered, and signed.

These fish are on sale in my store at www.seazening.wazala.com
I take special orders to a degree because each glass sculpture is created as a one of a kind piece of art.  I can make a fish similar to another but it will never come out exactly like it.

I have included a sampling here:

Cassia

Cosmo

Dorothy

Burt

3 days of pure fun!

Over this past weekend, I spent three days fusing glass under the tutelage of Master Glass Artist, Wesley Wong.  It was incredible.  I learned so much about fusing, materials, glass properties, etc.  

The focus of the 3 days was fusing 3D objects.  When glass is fused together, it is brought up to 1500-1700 degrees in a kiln where the glass pieces melt into one "fused" piece.  So fusing dimension into glass objects is a little tricky. 

On day one, we made a lily pad and a separate 3D dragonfly.  I am not used to cutting such small pieces!  I like the way it turned out.  Although the picture doesn't show it well, the wings are raised up from the body as if in flight.

On the second day, we made butterflies.  Again the wings are raised.

On the third day, we made gold fish and a 3D tile.  This was the most interesting day to me because I have been fusing tropical fish at home lately. I learned so much.  The fins are all fused at different levels and positions giving the glass movement.  I really like the way the eye turned out too.

In the tile, the seaweed is fused at different levels to give movement and perspective.  The fish is 3D as well.  Check out those lips.  Yep, I got teased about that!

Thanks, Wesley for a great learning experience.

Turn Left!

My husband has a saying that goes like this, "" When facing a wall, turn left."  Basically it means to stop bumping into the wall and try something new!     When I was teaching school, my team mates and I would often tell each other to "turn left" when issues would become more demanding than necessary.

Well, I feel like I have turned left in my creativity.  Last year at this time, I was trying very hard to get Zentangle classes going in St. Augustine, FL.  The interest was definitely there--I would fill the room when I did Library presentations and mini-workshops-- but the paying students were not.  The art of Zentangle has become so popular and many are interested; but, they can buy several books about the technique and the step out instructions to the tangles (patterns).  There is so much to learn from a Certified Zentangle Teacher that goes far beyond what can be gained from reading or looking through a book.  However, when you don't know what you don't know, the reality of the situation rarely matters.

Needing to keep busy, I signed up for Stained Glass classes and made this my creative outlet.  This morphed into fused or Warm glass art.  I am just as excited about this creative outlet as I was about Zentangle!  So, what do I do?  I immerse myself in it.  I still practice Zentangle and love to draw tangles and designs, but working with glass gives me a feeling of tremendous accomplishment.

Therefore, I am morphing from Zentangle into Glass in my blog postings.

I hope you still enjoy reading about Seazenings, even though the concentration has changed.

Look for my post about the 3 days I spent with Master Glass Artist Wesley Wong from Santa Barbara, CA.

As far as I have gotten

Since I started my stained glass window project, I have also been fusing tropical fish and birds, started a stained glass lamp shade and am presently involved in a 3 day glass work shop.  So needless to say, I have done much on the stained glass window!  

Non the less, the next step is to choose your glass.  Once the glass is chosen, trace the patterns and cut the glass.  After each piece has been cut and grind, test its accuracy with the window pattern layout (the full window pattern).   I have done this much for one window!  BUT... that's it.

It is mostly clear textured glass (called Architectural glass) with spots of color.