Some new designs

I have volunteering torch time at the Winter Wonderland in San Jose, California. While it has been tiring, it has also been nice.

So far, I have two new designs, a small sculpture turtle and duck. This may not seem like like much, but the turtle and duck are both really cute. In addition, I've been able to polish a few of my bead designs.

Winter Wonderland - 2007

To those of you who are lurking, if you're interested in seeing me create glass objects, then now is your chance. Visit me at Winter Wonderland. I'm there 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/14, 12/15, 12/16, 12/20, 12/21, 12/22, and 12/23 from around 5:00p.m. to 9:00p.m. in downtown San Jose (between Market and 1rst street by the Fairmont). This past weekend, I was making glass turtles, marbles, beads, snowmen, and candy canes. When you need to see something else, feel free to meander around and visit either glass hut where you can buy stuff or the glass blowing demo.

Almost done

This project is long and laborious. And, the end result should be really nice. All the pieces are ready for soldering.

Bah, one pair is bad

In my construction phase, I've decided to create the medium blue and the black pairs. I started fitting all the pieces and realized quickly that my grinds where to too large on the pieces. A quick trip to BAGI and their lap grinder, done. I put the pieces in paper towels to move them and dry them off.

Much to my dismay when I got the pieces home, one of the medium blue pieces of glass had a few knicks in it. This piece had escaped my grip while on the lap grinder. Bounce, bounce and quick dart underneath the wheel. The wheel was turned off and I went after the blue glass. It looked fine wet.

There's a lesson to all the people who deal with glass. It might look beautiful wet, but when it dries, all scuffs, knicks and anything else will be visible.

Glass cut.... Now the Construction.

This weekend, the beads got cut, ground and polished. I was more nervous during this step of the cuff-link making than any of the previous versions. I'm not sure why.

Glass..... done!

I bit the bullet and created four beads. Two of them are large "arctic indecisions", one is a plain medium cobalt blue bead and the last is a plain black bead. Next Saturday, I'm off to a friends place to cut and polish them. Once they are cut and polished, all I have to do is construct them. (I think that'll be the easy part.)

More later.

Cuff Link Studs..... Check

Sitting on my doorstep Wednesday was a medium sized box. When I got closer, I saw it was from the supplier of cuff link studs. I tossed it into my home and carried on. When I opened it, I laughed. Here are eight pairs of cuff link studs amongst a cubic foot of packing material. The cuff link studs might be one-inch cubed. Horray for the package over-packer protecting my cuff link studs!

Now all I need is the glass. This weekend.....

Silver..... check

On my doorstep Friday laid a box. Just a standard looking box. Inside, silver. Now, I just need is to make the glass and receive the cuff-link backs. Oh cursed mail system! How you make me wait.

Auction....

I agreed to make some pieces for the BAGI 2008 auction. I'm going to provide something that I have wanted to make (and haven't found the time to do it). Cufflinks.

The silver came in yesterday. The glass, I need to make. I thought I already had the pieces I needed, and unfortunately, I was mistaken.

Pictures in a few weeks.

Some thinking about me and glass.....

So, I recently took a trip to Murano, Italy and a few things popped into my mind: Why am I not doing this glass thing as a living and can I do it?

Let's tackle these questions in two parts.

Why am I not doing this glass thing as a living?

Not really sure. I've been dabbling in it for the past 7-8 years. I have some product and plenty of class projects. Then, while in Italy, everything connected. I finally have the ability to earn money from at least three aspects of glass/silver.

Why is this rule of threes important? Well, it's a protection against a bad market or two. My three markets are: beads, silver and large glass sculpture. Beads can be sold separately or in a finished piece. Silver can be plate or PMC. Large glass sculpture is just a hunk of glass.

Can I do it?

I used to say "nah, it'll never happen" then a friend in Murano knocked me upside the head and said, "Really, why not?" I didn't have a real answer. There's stuff that people really like as I've already sold it to individuals and I do teach occasionally.

So, now it's the time to plan everything out and move towards that plan.

The class - PMC Pendants and Rings

This past weekend I took 2 glass related classes. The first (for which I was late) was an intro to PMC focusing on basic PMC skills. Could a person roll, cut, add texture and then fire a piece of PMC into something usable? My answer... Yes! I made a fairly non-descript PMC rectangular pendant. This was made from PMC+.

The second class was focused on PMC rings. Now, I must admit, that this class held more interest for me. I'm not sure if it was the small class size (3 students Vs. 10 students) or if it was the subject matter. I had more fun and did more in this class. Two rings were made. The first is a simple loop with some cuts made in the surface. The second is a ring with some basic texture. The rings were made from PMC3.

Now, I purchased a basic toolset in class and then on Monday bought the remainder of what I needed. (Let's just say the toolset was a lot less expensive.) Over the next week, the other stuff will show up in my home and I should be ready to go. Now, I just need set up my shop.

Thanks goes out to Patrik Kusek for teaching us. I had a lot of fun and my PMC instruction has begun.

Classes - PMC

This weekend I am taking my first class in PMC. Hopefully (as it currently appears) both classes will be held. The first class appears to be an introduction and practical application class. It appears that we will be creating pendants and other "hangable" objects. The afternoon class is focused on rings.

The classes will be held at The Nova Studios up in Richmond, CA. As this is my first time at this studio, it will be interesting to see it. It appears to be quite the place teaching and selling products ranging from soap to jewelry.

For those who don't know, PMC (Precious Metal Clay) is a pretty neat materials.

Starting of the new shop

I need to get off my duff and begin cleaning out the garage. This started with me trying to find computing parts for a friend last weekend.

Looking around the garage, I realize that there is enough room for me to torch and do other stuff.

Let's see what this weekend brings as my class at BAGI has been canceled.

There is some real crap out there!

I was looking at other people's work to see where the cottage-industry is. While there is some good work, there is an equal or greater amount of crap that is floating out there. Come on people, this is glass..... and you say you can make beads.

Here's some simple guidelines to remember:
- Keep your mandrel level
- Heat what you want
- Puckers are good

It's not that difficult to remember these things when creating your bead.

Hmmmm, a product?

I spent Saturday with some friends who blow glass. While most of the day was spent working on a website for them, there were small areas of surprises and fun.

The biggest thing was that I need a product. What do I do? What should I sell?

Back from Portland

I just finished a class in kiln forming and cold-working up at Bullseye in Portland. While I went there for the cold-working techniques, I really think the kiln forming part of the class stuck with me.

There is beauty in the stark forms that come from a simple form.

Thanks to Ted Sawyer and Erik Whittemore for teaching us.

Moving again..... :(

About 1.5 months ago, I found out that the place I was renting was being sold to a property investor (a.k.a property flipper). This new owner informed all the tenants that they were on a month-to-month until they decided what to do with the property. Being someone who is occasionally proactive, I started to look for a new place. A place that was more "comfortable" and could house both my lampworking studio and fusing gear. Little did I know, a friend who was also looking for a new home saw a 2br house on-line. She shared it with me and a week or so later, I signed the papers. Now, don't call me heartless for taking the house from my friends. They have a small pooch (dog) and this place didn't allow pets.

What does this mean for glass? Once I get time to get the garage in order, the studios will be set back up. There is already a little corner set aside for the lampworking. I just need to organize stuff and build a lot of shelving for storage.

Ugh, another few months where the only glass I create is from the classes I teach.

-> Swimming in gray matter <-

Ideas, ideas and more ideas. That's the problem with having overactive gray matter. With the re-emergence of fusing, my head has been filling up with ideas for fusing projects and lampworking ideas. Imagine small lampworked sculpture on a fused piece. The ideas are limitless.

I look forward to sharing some of the finished work.

Yawn.... (Or, maybe even a growl!)

Where have I been? Two simple answers. One, I haven't felt too inspired lately and creating art has been a real drag. What stuff I did create is just that..... stuff. It's full of what I'd call, "Blah!" The other is simple, I have found a corner of a world that I enjoy. That corner is in the on-line game, "World of Warcraft." Many an hour/day has been spent moving my mouse and pressing various keys enabling my character to interact with the other bits-and-bytes that represent other players.

Other than the occasional class taught at the Bay Area Glass Institute, I have not had the opportunity to do any in-depth glasswork. That all changed one day, in early December, when an e-mail crossed my browser. I was commissioned to create a glass chessboard. "Cool," I thought, then I continued to read.... "goes along with handmade ceramic chess pieces" and "need by Christmas." Hmmm, still an interesting challenge. I inquired about the size of the chess pieces. The answer came back, the largest piece had a diameter of 2.5 inches. Then it hit me. A chessboard is 8 squares by 8 squares. There needs to be room on each side of the chess piece to allow for easy movement. Each square needs to be 3 inches by 3 inches. 3 times 8 equals 24. 24 inches is the same as 2 feet. WAIT A MINUTE! THAT'S HUGE! In the fusing world, pieces that are larger than 18 inches on a side are quite large. After some running around town, coordinating resources and sweating, the chessboard was completed. The customer is quite happy and often uses the chessboard.

That work awakened a hibernating feeling. The feeling of creativity. That feeling that was locked away, beaten down by the man and forgotten. My mind is racing. Silverwork, beads and fusing. Projects I had once put down are criss-crossing in my cerebrum seeking a way to express themselves. Workshops and learning opportunities are beginning to make themselves known. Now, the only hurdle I need to overcome is that of my arch-nemesis, time. Carpe Diem!