Experimental Glass

Lately, I've been on a process kick: enhancing existing skill sets as well as learning new ones. Well, thanks to my friend Janet, a very talented glass artist, I am learning the ways of "the melt". Needless to say, working with glass is very different from my usual creative endeavors. You see I'm kind of a control freak, so whether I'm crocheting, weaving, painting or sewing I tend to spend hours laboring over minutiae. The only process I undertake on a regular basis that is not steeped in anal retention is spinning. And even spinning is not as free and intuitive as I have found glass to be (in the TWO times that I've explored the medium in Janet's studio/home). I'm not exactly an expert, but I am definitely on my way to becoming an enthusiast! Here are the results of my glassy tinkering so far (see below).

 A few glass tiles (these are all approximately 2-2.5" square)...

The firings vary a bit as the two tiles above are more "melty" looking than the one's below.

The one below is my favorite tile yet. Janet is going to show me how to make a metal setting for this one. Yay!

I also made a few pendants...

Overall, I really like the immediacy of this process. I can throw together some simple compositions and watch them magically transform in the kiln. It's so gratifying! I also really love the depth of color in the glass itself. I have so many ideas dancing about my head for possible uses of glass in my textile work. Can you say glass buttons???

Monstrous Flower Brooch

I was thinking about the little paintings I've been doing and how I they are really meant to be studies for future 3D explorations. As such, I pulled out my bin of felt and pair of shears and got crackin'...

Methinks there's some potential here. I added a bit of embroidery which served to add detail and keep the layers together.

Then, I sewed a brooch pin on the back of the flower for fun. All in all the flower took me a few hours to make from start to finish. Don't know that I will make loads of these, but the process was definitely a jumping off point for other experiments. Mission accomplished.

Small Paintings

I have begun painting again (by again I mean this is something I have endeavored to do periodically from the time I could hold a brush in hand and make marks). The pieces I'm working on currently are small (4x4"), painted sketches really. I use them to work out ideas, play with color and satisfy my need to make something and finish it in one evening (not a usual practice for one who is constantly enveloped in long and arduous projects).

These are my monstrous flowers. I was even thinking that it might be really cool to crochet a few of them in thread and show them side by side. Who knows how long this idea will remain viable in my mind's eye.

I figured I make these until I get sick of making them, as is my way. We will not discuss how many piles of dormant projects I have laying around the studio!

Happy Thursday, Kids!