So You Want to Be A Glass Artist. Part II: Tips for Developing Designs

Because glass can be expensive, especially when you have to buy a separate sheet of glass for each color you use, it's best to start with a design to minimize waste. The benefits of using a design include:

• Determining the right proportions before you start cutting the glass
• Determining the right color combinations before you start cutting the glass
• Speeding up the time to create the glass piece - a lot of time can be spent figuring out how you want to put a piece together when you don't have design. This becomes more important as you make glass for a business rather than a hobby.

One key lesson that I've learned is that if a piece doesn't look good going into the kiln, it won't look good after it comes out. Although having a design can minimize this, it still can happen - which is due most of the time to the color of the actual cut glass compared to the color in the design. If it does, it's worth re-working the designs and colors to get a piece that'll make you happy. While many believe that the firing transforms the glass, I've never had something that I didn't like "magically" transform in the kiln to something better.

To create my designs, I like to draw them out on graph paper to get a sense of proportion. Some people also create sample tiles of the fired glass to determine the right colors to use. This is especially useful for those glasses that strike or change color when fired. I didn't take the time to do this when I first started and found out the hard way that some colors that look like they work together unfired, do not afterwards :(

Because of the many forms of glass, glass artists can create any design that appeals to them. Cut glass is more prone to blocks of solid colors. Glass powders and frit add the option for blending and the use of shapes would be difficult cut (notice holly leaves below).

A more advanced use of frit is called frit-painting which uses glass powder and frit to create a picture or painting over multiple firings.

Kiln-carving adds depth as well as design. This technique involves cutting a design out of fiber paper and letting the glass slump into it.

For more complex work like with glass powders, may artists develop test tiles or miniature pieces to test the colors (because the color of powders become darker in proportion to amount used) and techniques. In fact, I would recommend creating test tiles for any new form of glass fusing. At the beginning, most glass fusers create test tiles of how the glass fuses together at different temperatures. Fusing temperatures also contribute to the design. Glass fused at lower temperatures will have a raised design while those fused at higher temperatures will have a flat design.

While it can be fun to try a variety of disparate designs, consider developing a set of designs that you can explore. This gives you a body of work that's more cohesive and allows you to delve deeper into the technique. As you continue to explore, you may find this work inspires new designs. Exposure to other glass artists and learning new glass techniques also opens you up to new glass designs. I know I already have a year's worth of designs that I'd like to do. Glass is one of those areas where there's always something new to learn and something to inspire you to create something different.

So You Want to Be a Glass Artist. How to Get Started - Part I: Setting Up Your Studio

Over the summer, I participate in several art shows. Often, people who visit my booth remark that they are interested in making fused glass. For those of you are serious about beginning to fuse glass as a hobby or more, here's a few tips on getting started and having a studio of your own.

The first step is to determine where you will make the glass - in a home studio or a place where you can rent the equipment. If all you want to do is to make a few items, renting the use of a kiln is the best avenue as you minimize start-up costs. However, for those who are more serious and want to purchase a kiln, the most important decision is size and voltage. The larger kilns run on 240 voltage and most likely need dedicated power. The kilns that run on standard voltage are smaller in size with the largest kiln allowing you to make a 12" square. This could be more than enough if your goal is to make jewelry but can become small if you are interested in making larger bowls, platters or art panels. Most fused glass artists recommend getting the largest size kiln you can afford as most people eventually trade up - making fused glass can be addicting!

Besides the kiln, you'll need to purchase glass cutting tools (glass cutter, breaking pliers) and sheet glass at a minimum. However, to create better quality work, you will most likely want to invest in the some of the following:

Basic

• Cutting system - to make more uniform cuts
• Grinder - to shape or smooth the glass and remove flares
• Ring saw - cut more unique shapes or fused glass
• Circle cutter - to cut circles; typically used in conjunction with a grinder to smooth the edges

Additional tools:

• Drill/drill press
• Lap grinder
• Wet belt sander
• Tile saw
• Sand blaster

For the power tools, you'll want to get the tools with the most horsepower. Most glass artists, start with the basics and gradually build up their studio as they can afford the other tools. However, the goal is to buy the best you can afford. For me, because I am budget and space constrained but want quality equipment, I tend to purchase "entry level, professional" tools instead of "hobbyist" tools.

In addition, you'll want to have access to water (for cleaning and as a coolant when you run your tools) as well as a flat, well lit area to cut and assemble the glass. Storage is also important as you'll find you quickly accumulate many glass supplies. It's easy to start out with a little space, but if you're like most fusers, you'll soon find yourself wanting more room for all the tools you hope to get as well as the different forms of glass (e.g. powders, sheet glass, shards) and accessories.

If you're still serious about wanting your own studio, I suggest you get a copy of Contemporary Fused Glass by Brad Walker. Here you'll find a whole laundry list of supplies as well as a more detailed discussion of the basics of making fused glass.

Next post: So You Want to Be a Glass Artist. Part II: Tips for Developing Glass Designs

How to Make a Raku Bowl

As I'm new to the Seattle area as an exhibiting artist, I am taking advantage of this summer to check out various art festivals in the area. So far, I've visited the Bellevue Art Fair (my favorite as a consumer, probably not such a great fair for me as an artist due to the long hours over 3 days), the Bellingham Arts Festival, the Anacortes Arts Festival, and Fresh Paint in Everett. I love seeing the different artists and their works. One artist of interest was Brian Somers who paints, sculpts and makes wonderful raku works of art. Raku is a type of Japanese pottery that is primarily used as part of the Japanese tea ceremony, often in the form of bowls. Raku means "ease" or "enjoyment" and got its name in the 1500's when a Japanese warrior presented a seal with the Chinese symbol for Raku to the potter who created handmade tea bowls that he favored. Raku then became the name for the family that produced the wares. Both the name and the ceramic style have been passed down through the generations (sometimes through adoption)!

I first met Brian at the Bellingham Arts Festival where he offered a hands on demonstration of how to paint the bowl and how to fire it. Lead or other metals are used as part of the glaze because of the shimmer they add and their ability to crackle or "craze", taking on the darker color from the carbon that happens later in the process.
Wide brush strokes are typically used in a more asymmetrical pattern, with colors layered on top. Splattering paint can add a nice effect on top. Any part of the vessel which is left unpainted will eventually turn black from the carbon once it comes out of the kiln.

This is the kiln with an unfired bowl on top

Once the bowl is painted, it goes into the kiln to be fired, reaching a top temperature of 1800. Time in the kiln is short, say 20 minutes, as the glazes fire at relatively low temperatures. This is a lot shorter than when I use my kiln for glass, which can take 12-15 hours! Once fired, the bowls go straight into a lidded aluminum container (for the demo, this was a garbage can) to create a reduction atmosphere which creates a luster and iridescence from the metals in the glaze when the oxygen is pulled from the glazes and clay and when there is combustion inside (i.e. flames from contact between newspaper and the bowl that comes straight from the kiln). This part of the demo was interactive for all people who made a bowl. I had the job of opening and closing the garbage can, while my friend, Heidi, had the job of covering the bowls with newspaper (and staying clear of the flames)! Next the bowls are transferred to a bucket of water to stop the process and to help clean off some of the debris before the bowls are individually washed.

This was a great way to experience another form of art and also very addictive ("I know the next one could be better..."). My friend, Heidi, who lives in the city went back the next day to make some additional bowls with her kids. The Seattle area is a great place not only for viewing art but for hands on experience! Let me know what you think and if you've seen other ways to participate like this at a venue.

Cultural Arts in Seattle: Obon Festival

The first weekend I moved back to Seattle, even before my belongings arrived, I went to the Seattle Obon with my friend, Lani. The Obon originated over 500 years ago as a Japanese Buddhist custom of honoring the departed spirits of one's ancestors similar to the Mexican observance of El Dia de los Muertos. Today, the Obon is more of an occasion to get together, have some good Japanese food and participate in the dancing as you'll see later.

The festivities kicked off with taiko drumming, which was excellent and well choreographed.


What I enjoyed is how they invited the former teachers and students to join in for the final performance. Clearly, there's a set drumming pattern to each piece as the older drummers were in sync with the students since I doubt that they all practiced together.

But what impressed me the most was the dancing -- not because of the talent but because of the breadth of participation! I was amazed at how many people joined in. Dancers form a circle, going up and down the block. In the middle are the teachers who act as guides. For the popular dances, the street was lined four rows deep. But the great part was diversity of the dancers! There were children, teens, young adults, parents, and grandparents. I saw a group of college-aged guys dancing in row! And, there were people of every nationality - Asian, African American, Caucasian, and Hispanic. I loved seeing everyone dancing in unison and that all these people had spent time learning the dances, which are typically taught in the weeks prior to the festival.

Each dance tells a story through the movement. One of the most popular and easiest dances is known as the coal miner. The photo above shows people imitating coal miners digging. This is an old and traditional dance. However, there are also newer dances as such as the Ichiro, inspired by the Mariner baseball player. Now that I'm in Seattle, I look forward to learning these dances and participating next year.

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Although I make fused glass, I would like to share other arts that inspire me, whether they be cultural arts, other art endeavors or art made by others. Does this approach appeal to you? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Looking Back at the Past, Before Moving On

This week, I'll be moving back to the Seattle area. Part of the moving process includes going through all of your belongings and deciding whether to keep all of them or not. One thing that I've been carrying around with me for 25+ years is the artwork that I did when I was in college. Slowly over time (and with moves), I've shed past art projects but this portfolio has stuck with me - not because I wanted to keep it, but more so because my mom (when it was stored at her house) and my husband have not let me get rid of it. Well, with this move, it's gone. I've given the portfolio, board and papers to some of the artists I met through the Pro Arts Open Studios. However, the real contents have been captured on film and now preserved via this post. As part of a finals project in college, I had to pick an inanimate object (for me, a pair of Levi's jeans) and create 20 versions of it. Here are some of my favorites:







It's good to look back, to see where you've been and how you've changed over time. It's also nice to live in a digital age where memories can be better preserved (instead of mounted in an old photo album as the rest of my older artwork has been).