Sunday, June 12, 2022

New Skills Continued

 Back in February I mentioned that I am learning a new craft - glass fusion. It has been the bane of my existence as well as a very enjoyable experience. The more pieces I make the more addicted I become! 

Two of the things I've had to adjust to the most are the lack of instant gratification (Once I finish a basket, it's finished. No waiting. That's not the case with glass fusion.) and relying on someone else to place and fire my designs. Yes, I can see my designs coming together as I glue pieces of glass onto a sheet of glass; however, it takes several firings to get that sheet of glass into the desired melted stage and shape. 

So, how does one make a dish or other item in glass fusion? I like to begin with a solid sheet of glass, generally clear, but other colors have also been used. I cut the pieces of the design I am making then place them on the sheet of glass. Once I'm happy with the design, I take a picture to see if there are any glaring mistakes and make any necessary adjustments. Once that is done the pieces are removed then glued in place using watered down glue. I've learned that it's important to make sure the glue is dry before putting the finished piece into the kiln. If it's not dry the pieces could shift. There goes your design!

The photos below show the beginning of the design, the pieces coming together and the finished product.






Once the design is securely glued it's time to decide how to fire it. There's tack, contour, full, and bubble. The higher the heat the more the glass will melt together. Naturally, it makes sense to start with the least amount of melting, tack, then go up if the design is not melted enough. The wave below was fired on contour. Much to my dismay it melted more than other contour pieces I had fired so I added more blue glass as well as white frit and tacked them to add more dimension. I debated on whether to slump it into a square dish, but decided against it. This wave was too big of a design for me to tackle as a beginner so it's not my best work, but it does look pretty above our kitchen cabinets. 




Other pieces have not been as involved. I tend to be a very symmetrical person. I guess that's why I liked geometry so much as a high school sophomore. Watching other club members turn out the most beautiful asymmetrical designs is challenging me to do the same. While I have not done any yet, I have purchased some gorgeous pieces of glass and am working on designing some pieces that are out of my comfort zone. Watch for more fused glass photos in the future! 

Below are a few more pieces I've made. They're in no particular order. 




Unfortunately, the clear plastic plate stands are not sturdy enough to hold these heavy plates so the black metal shows through the dragonfly design.


The round and square mosaic dishes will be available for sale at our craft shows this season. There are only a few; when they're gone, they're gone. 



So what do you think of my first fused glass creations?

Upcoming Events

We are a month away from the start of our craft show season! Join us at the Northville Rotary's Woodworking and Fine Arts Weekend 2022, July 15 - 17 in Northville, NY. You can check out many of the artists and their wares on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/223659131530990

Until Next Time...

Diane



 

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