Bas Relief: Day 1

We started our workshop doing bas relief, a method of carving an image that is slightly raised from the flat background.

To do this, fiber paper is used.  Fiber paper is a heat resistant paper made with alumina silicate fibers.   Images are carved out of the paper using an Exacto knife.  The carved image pieces can be used under the glass to leave a raised image in the glass.  The carved out piece can be placed under the glass so the glass sinks or sagged into the vacant areas when fused creating the images.

In the first sculpture (the birds), the carved out sheet of fiber paper was used.  The flat, clear glass sheets were cut to fit the perimeter of the fiber paper and placed on top.
Here are the results.
This is one piece of glass, turned front and back to show you the two different effects of using positive (draping over the fiber paper) and negative (slumping into the fiber paper).

Here, the birds protrude slightly from the background, while their wings (cut out of the original image) are the same level as the flat background and appear indented.  This is the image that results from using the positive (or cut out pieces) technique.

Here the birds are slightly indented from the flat foreground, while their wings (added back to the cut out image) are even with the flat foreground, but look slightly raised.  This image view results from using the negative technique.

Either way, I am happy with the results.  It almost looks like snow in the background.  Those are tiny air bubbles in between the glass.  Two sheets of COE 96 clear glass were used in this project.

I will write tomorrow about the other two pieces.  Visit www.seazeningwithglass.blogspot.com for more workshop stories.

3 days of Warm Glass Heaven

I recently returned from a 3 day Warm Glass Workshop with master glass artist, Newy Fagan.

Newy has been creating in warm glass since the late 70s.  She is most known for developing a technique to manipulate glass while it is in the malleable stage in the kiln.  She creates horse sculptures that stand on their own as a result of this technique.

Newy has her horses in galleries all over the country.  Visit http://www.turqtortsedona.com/Artists/fagan/index.htm to read more about what this gallery has to say about Newy's work.  Visit Newy's web page at http://newyfaganstudio.com/

My 3 days with Newy were very inspiring to say the least.
Newy lives on about 19 acres of land near the Ocala National Forest in Central Florida.  She has two horses (a quarter: Buttermilk, who she fondly calls, "Bubby" and a miniature, Lacy), and 3 dogs (whose names I can't recall, but whose kisses I still feel).  Her studio is fabulous.  When I walked in, I wanted to lock the door and stay for awhile.  The materials were nice, but the artwork dispersed all over the studio was wonderful eye candy. I would look, admire, examine it all day -- and did -- for 3 days.  I pretended I was living the Bohemian life style I always wanted to live!  It was great.

I will tell you more about all we did over the next couple of days.  In the meantime, Google Newy Fagan and learn more about her and her art work.

Birds of a feather....

I really like birds.  I like to watch their behaviors and listen to their chirping or in some cases squawking, imagining the conversations they must be having.

I create birds as I imagine them.  These hand crafted, one of a kind glass sculptures are loaded with personality.  They make wonderful gifts for friends, office mates, co-workers, and even yourself.  Imagine  one of these fun creatures propped on a bookshelf and catching your eye after a tiring, less than pleasant day... Instant lift!

The first collection I created is called, "Just Sayin".  Each unique piece is created out of glass and fused together in a kiln, decorated, then mounted on wood with a saying like, " Live in the Moment", that I think fits the birds' personality.  The birds are signed and numbered.

Here is a collage of some of the birds in this series.  The individual birds with descriptions are found in my store, www.seazening.wazala.com and choose the category: Birds

Seazening with Glass

I started a. New blog about my adventures using glass medium.  Follow me on seazeningwithglass.blogspot.com
Seazeningwithglass.blogspot.com

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.