Pieces from Underwater world (2008) by Michael Behrens
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Visual Diary wall
I have decided to keep a visual diary wall that i'll take a photo of every month or more depending on how it fills up.
wireless worries and working in the cold room
At this stage it doesn't look as though i'll get the eee pc (linux) set up for wireless in time to present it as my visual diary..which this blog also manages to be.
In the cold room I tried out the cork belt on the linisher. Not sure I like the result as it left streaky marks on the previously shiny (ceriumed) glass. I re ceriumed it and possibly achieved a better result. May be I had the order wrong.
The large bubble I blew a while back is looking better. I polished the sandblasted pattern and I quite like the look of it. For next time I would sandblast it deeper so there would be a higher relief. Letting the nail varnish I used for the mask would also work better if left to dry for longer.
I only let it dry over night. 2 days and even the thick bits are hard.
In the cold room I tried out the cork belt on the linisher. Not sure I like the result as it left streaky marks on the previously shiny (ceriumed) glass. I re ceriumed it and possibly achieved a better result. May be I had the order wrong.
The large bubble I blew a while back is looking better. I polished the sandblasted pattern and I quite like the look of it. For next time I would sandblast it deeper so there would be a higher relief. Letting the nail varnish I used for the mask would also work better if left to dry for longer.
I only let it dry over night. 2 days and even the thick bits are hard.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Filing and waiting on the phone
Work at MDAA this morning..then to uni.
After gritblasting my large bubble ( & removing the nail varnish mask) I made another attempt to get my eee pc wireless at Uni.
Hours later still not hooked up but hopeful (thanks to Robert at IT support) I realised I had not done any cold working..so that's making tomorrow a bit tighter than expected but should get it all done.
After gritblasting my large bubble ( & removing the nail varnish mask) I made another attempt to get my eee pc wireless at Uni.
Hours later still not hooked up but hopeful (thanks to Robert at IT support) I realised I had not done any cold working..so that's making tomorrow a bit tighter than expected but should get it all done.
Artist of the day
Virginia Lee
:
Tree girl (2003).
mixed media.
:A gallery of mythical, magical, surrealistic art, inspired by fairy tales, folklore and themes of transformation
Tree girl (2003).
mixed media.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Artist of the Day
Pinocchio and the Shark, 1996
Etching on white wove paper
12" x 9 5/8" (30.5 x 24.4 cm)
Artist's proof
Cellar Stairs, 2001
Hand-colored etching on cream wove paper
5 3/4" x 9 1/8" (14.6 x 23.2 cm)
From the True Vintage, 1996
Hand-colored etching on cream laid paper, mounted on thin off-white laid paper
6 1/2" x 5 1/8" (16 x 12.8 cm)
Disjointed blade runner
There was a brief patch of sun delivered today between 8 and 9 am. The occasional shower occasioned every half hour.
A quiet day with Dougie caught in the headlights of utube whilst I struggled with setting up a wireless account on my laptop for uni which looks as though it won't be doable. Linux OS are off the radar at the moment..hmmm so what was plan B to show my online visual diary huh?
I planned out the next couple of days to fit my assessment tasks in plus work, polished and washed various bits of glass.
Dinner was eggplant curry, dahl & rice with chocolate mousse after a short story reading from Neil Gaiman's "fragile things".
Against my more sensible sensibilities I thought it would be a good idea to watch blade runner..which turned out to be highly frustrating as the copy we have started to stutter..and between it's inability to stop and Dougie's insistence it would get better (but never did) tonight is a little late.
ah well it is the weekend after all.
A quiet day with Dougie caught in the headlights of utube whilst I struggled with setting up a wireless account on my laptop for uni which looks as though it won't be doable. Linux OS are off the radar at the moment..hmmm so what was plan B to show my online visual diary huh?
I planned out the next couple of days to fit my assessment tasks in plus work, polished and washed various bits of glass.
Dinner was eggplant curry, dahl & rice with chocolate mousse after a short story reading from Neil Gaiman's "fragile things".
Against my more sensible sensibilities I thought it would be a good idea to watch blade runner..which turned out to be highly frustrating as the copy we have started to stutter..and between it's inability to stop and Dougie's insistence it would get better (but never did) tonight is a little late.
ah well it is the weekend after all.
Friday, June 19, 2009
In the cold room again, week 15
Well Today was spent yet again in the cold working room shared with Katie (all day) Kate, Llana and elective students every now and then.
"the Cube (bane of my life)" : fissured while being pumiced but is still whole & ceriumed.
"unidentified cast object" : hand lapped at 400 & 600. Wheel pumiced and ceriumed.
"various tumblers" : lathed with the cerium pad.
Dougie picked me up at 4.30 upon whence I demanded coffee and cake..which we had at Sappho's second hand book shop in Glebe. We then carried on to see if Hoyts at Broadway had something not too Awful..which turned out to be a movie version of the scifi novel "The land of the lost".
It was very veryvery silly.
Sashimi and plum wine after the film filled any gap there was after a half a small tub of popcorn.
Seriously it WAS the smallest they offer.
"the Cube (bane of my life)" : fissured while being pumiced but is still whole & ceriumed.
"unidentified cast object" : hand lapped at 400 & 600. Wheel pumiced and ceriumed.
"various tumblers" : lathed with the cerium pad.
Dougie picked me up at 4.30 upon whence I demanded coffee and cake..which we had at Sappho's second hand book shop in Glebe. We then carried on to see if Hoyts at Broadway had something not too Awful..which turned out to be a movie version of the scifi novel "The land of the lost".
It was very veryvery silly.
Sashimi and plum wine after the film filled any gap there was after a half a small tub of popcorn.
Seriously it WAS the smallest they offer.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Filling the well
Yesterday Dougie suggested that first I then we should have an hour a day to spend on our individual creative stuff. Writing for him and visual for me.
So whilst the fennel, potato and water cress soup was on the stove I mucked about with my water colours.
Good idea Douglas! (said other was too annoyed with the work investigation to write but spent his time researching a link between T.S. Eliot and French poet Jules Laforgue).
So whilst the fennel, potato and water cress soup was on the stove I mucked about with my water colours.
Good idea Douglas! (said other was too annoyed with the work investigation to write but spent his time researching a link between T.S. Eliot and French poet Jules Laforgue).
Cold working, week 15
Today was spent in the cold room
"the cube" : hand lapping at 600 grit
"Paperweight well" : Grinding, hand lapping at 400 & 600 grit, pumice and cerium on wheel.
nice and polished.
I'm possibly beggining to hate the cube.
COld working i'm begining to think should be done in the summer. My fingers can barely type after all that cold water.
I suppose it doesn't help with the day being dreary cold and wet.
Ah well.
"the cube" : hand lapping at 600 grit
"Paperweight well" : Grinding, hand lapping at 400 & 600 grit, pumice and cerium on wheel.
nice and polished.
I'm possibly beggining to hate the cube.
COld working i'm begining to think should be done in the summer. My fingers can barely type after all that cold water.
I suppose it doesn't help with the day being dreary cold and wet.
Ah well.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Study vacation? week 14
I still have a cold. This week was meant to be one of the weeks to get practical work done for our assessments however from experience I KNOW not to do practical work when I have a cold. Memories of cutting skirt lengths too short convinced i had the right measurement and ruining drawings convince me that I should just concentrate on my visual diary (blog) that at least can be edited if I really stuff up.
I just thought i'd add that Utube is evil... or a great test for will power.
People are just so very creative and amusing that it is hard to keep away.
I just thought i'd add that Utube is evil... or a great test for will power.
People are just so very creative and amusing that it is hard to keep away.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Glass tech, week 13
Continuing on with our casting project, we spent this class in the cold room being assisted and directed by Eliot Brand who has been filling in for Marcus who is on paternity leave.
Our project is to have the base ground, polished and beveled.
All machines and students got a work out.
This class was also Jaime's last official 'glass' class. She is moving onto photography next semester.
Good luck and don't forget to come and visit.
Our project is to have the base ground, polished and beveled.
All machines and students got a work out.
This class was also Jaime's last official 'glass' class. She is moving onto photography next semester.
Good luck and don't forget to come and visit.
Glass studio, Week 13
Any questions about your assessment?
A first year introduction into what is expected of you for your first semester assessment.
ah..better get cracking then.
A first year introduction into what is expected of you for your first semester assessment.
ah..better get cracking then.
Artist of the Day
Heike Brachlow
Movement V
Part of the attraction for these pieces is that you are invited to touch which starts off a circular movement....which could cause a few worried moments :)
Heike is currently pursuing a research degree at the Royal College of Art in London on "Shaping colour: density, light and form in solid glass sculpture".
Movement V
Part of the attraction for these pieces is that you are invited to touch which starts off a circular movement....which could cause a few worried moments :)
Heike is currently pursuing a research degree at the Royal College of Art in London on "Shaping colour: density, light and form in solid glass sculpture".
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Glass artists - casting glass
I have a short assignment to choose a glass artist who generally uses casting as thier form of expression. I thought as we were being given this "oh how easy..i'll do Tessa Clegg". I saw a piece of hers and instantly loved it...with some light research I found I only like SOME of her stuff. Not that likeing is a prerequisite but I feel as though IF i'm doing research I may as well like it..after all I'm doing this because I want to...i'm not getting paid to do this!
So after leafing through some current journals for interesting artists in the 'filed' (such a freudian slip there...does it count if typed? hmmm) FIELD of glass casting I have plumped for(an interesting saying one I will have to look up later) either Heike Brachlow or Rob Snyder.
A hard choice as to whom. What will tip me I think will be my idea of what the school teaching wishes, which of course has an artistic bias.
So after leafing through some current journals for interesting artists in the 'filed' (such a freudian slip there...does it count if typed? hmmm) FIELD of glass casting I have plumped for(an interesting saying one I will have to look up later) either Heike Brachlow or Rob Snyder.
A hard choice as to whom. What will tip me I think will be my idea of what the school teaching wishes, which of course has an artistic bias.
Artist of the Day
Rob Snyder
Cocoon II
cocoon II
cast glass
14×8x8
2007
Nest
cast glass
6’ diameter x 12’’
2007
I like the way the work is still large.. like a lot of glass cast works but made up of smaller individual pieces.
Cocoon II
cocoon II
cast glass
14×8x8
2007
Nest
cast glass
6’ diameter x 12’’
2007
I like the way the work is still large.. like a lot of glass cast works but made up of smaller individual pieces.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Hot shop, Week 13
The demonstration for this weeks class was an ashtray. A heavy roccoco type twirly thing.
Andrew's had bubbles but the 'real thing' would have been highly coloured not clear glass with the extra addition of gold leaf as well. 'Gaudy' I think was the term Andrew used.
However the demonstration was used to show a more organic way of pushing the glass around.
it's out of the kiln now so i'll get a snap.
We (the student's) continued on with our tumblers and colour.
hhmm, I think I know why they used colour..something to look at apart from cigarette butts.
Andrew's had bubbles but the 'real thing' would have been highly coloured not clear glass with the extra addition of gold leaf as well. 'Gaudy' I think was the term Andrew used.
However the demonstration was used to show a more organic way of pushing the glass around.
it's out of the kiln now so i'll get a snap.
We (the student's) continued on with our tumblers and colour.
hhmm, I think I know why they used colour..something to look at apart from cigarette butts.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Artist of the Day
Tessa Clegg
You can see some of her work at
Rotting Dean & Down Artist Gallery
Barrett marsden Gallery
Turner Museum of Glass
Two of my favourite pieces.
TC 20
You can see some of her work at
Rotting Dean & Down Artist Gallery
Barrett marsden Gallery
Turner Museum of Glass
Two of my favourite pieces.
TC 20
Monday, June 1, 2009
Glass studio, 'glass tool & self'-11
Spike Deane
Sarah Davies
Deb Robinson.
'Under the milky way tonight'
Jon
Nadine
Joori
Anna
Friday, May 29, 2009
idea cast glass
for a cast glass object not sure quite how to do it yet.Had a chat with Eliot before he left
Glass tech, week 12
Oh the anticipation! Similar to a ten year old at christmas.Waiting for our mould's to have cooled enough to be taken out of the kiln let alone broken out.
the 'delicate' task of setting free one's casting.
Sarah's piece was most reluctant and needed the persuasion of an electric drill to emerge.
It's a bit like eating a complicated seafood dish.
Lots of cutlery and suspense!
the curious dead possum mostly free of plaster.
The next bit of waiting is at least a day before doing any cold work on it.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
exhausted!
I have so much blogging to catch up on. 2 weeks worth I think. one too many assignments and blogging goes out the window! anyhow who I am apologising to? maybe my blog feels neglected! :)
Friday, May 22, 2009
Glass tech, open faced moulds, week 10
A practical demonstration on making an open-faced mould.
Open face moulds suit models that have a wider base than the top.
Make your object in clay
surround with (baffels?) fix with g clamps and seal edges with clay.
Mix your plaster.
Plaster should achieve this consistency.
Flick plaster in to begin with (some techniques do differ)
Pour in plaster carefully preferably in a corner not on the clay (causes bubbles).
watch out for leaking.
Jiggle table ot tap baffles...causes bubbles to rise.
wait.
Glass tech, casting, week 11
All our moulds are ready! See the odd white things on the table.
Now for a suitable firing cycle.
Imagine a zone of silence and no small amount of pressure as we wait for Eliot to come up with the perfect table.
Artist of the day, Lego?
Physical ASCII. How pseudo-retro-techno. INDEED!
What happens when one guy has too many modulex bricks? go here to find out
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Artist of the day
Veil of trees. Janet Laurence
See some of her work at Sherman Galleries
Veil of trees is at Mrs Maquaries point, Sydney.
See some of her work at Sherman Galleries
Veil of trees is at Mrs Maquaries point, Sydney.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Glass tech week 8
Marcus re introduced us to the kiln room.
Kiln shelves, kiln wash, the extractor & props were identified and exampled along with safety precautions.
Our "made up" firing schedules were checked and tweaked..
For the rest of the lesson we tried to figure out how to set the kilns. Some of us were more successful than others. I'm not sure if I am hugley confident.
The test strips were put in and this is what they looked like when they came out.
Float test strip after kiln with schedule
Bullseye test strip after kiln with firing schedule
Kiln shelves, kiln wash, the extractor & props were identified and exampled along with safety precautions.
Our "made up" firing schedules were checked and tweaked..
For the rest of the lesson we tried to figure out how to set the kilns. Some of us were more successful than others. I'm not sure if I am hugley confident.
The test strips were put in and this is what they looked like when they came out.
Float test strip after kiln with schedule
Bullseye test strip after kiln with firing schedule
Glass studio, Glass tool and self, week 8
The assignment is glass tool self.
an exploration of our favoured glass tools, types of glass used to express a part of our own selves.
In class we brainstormed words for
Glass: gather, translucency, liquid, hot, cold, solid, brittle, stress, reflective, sterile, light, refraction, magnification,purity, clarity,plastic, bendable, molten, grind, fluid, malleable, super cooled liquid, layer, blow, fuse, heavy, transparent
Tool: grinders, jacks, pipes, shears, kiln, tweezers, linisher, marver, glass cutter, diamond saw, furnace, annealer, pliers, torch, polisshing, grit blaster, punty, paddle, blocks, lathe, glue, glory hole ...
Self: (all the class) sleepless & energetic, purple &newport, coffee & face, surf &life, train & motivated, colour & books, colour & sky, twin & horses, shower & westy, Sports & movies.
Proposal to be delivered next week.
The next part of the class was a bit of prep for the next class - studio tech.
A compatability test.
chips of Different types of glass on a strip of bullseye and a strip of float.
Andrew parting w
ords were " Now make up a firing schedule for both of them"
Test strips pre Kiln
an exploration of our favoured glass tools, types of glass used to express a part of our own selves.
In class we brainstormed words for
Glass: gather, translucency, liquid, hot, cold, solid, brittle, stress, reflective, sterile, light, refraction, magnification,purity, clarity,plastic, bendable, molten, grind, fluid, malleable, super cooled liquid, layer, blow, fuse, heavy, transparent
Tool: grinders, jacks, pipes, shears, kiln, tweezers, linisher, marver, glass cutter, diamond saw, furnace, annealer, pliers, torch, polisshing, grit blaster, punty, paddle, blocks, lathe, glue, glory hole ...
Self: (all the class) sleepless & energetic, purple &newport, coffee & face, surf &life, train & motivated, colour & books, colour & sky, twin & horses, shower & westy, Sports & movies.
Proposal to be delivered next week.
The next part of the class was a bit of prep for the next class - studio tech.
A compatability test.
chips of Different types of glass on a strip of bullseye and a strip of float.
Andrew parting w
ords were " Now make up a firing schedule for both of them"Test strips pre Kiln
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