Awesomesauce!*

 This is the end product that I had in mind when I started making the rubber mould of the branch in these photo's. I wanted something blown, hollow and light. This method of blow moulding means you get really fine detail. I de-moulded the 2 that I trialled on Thursday night with Erica's help (I knew one was going to better than the other). I was really chuffed with the result...but the studio was really quiet this morning so my joy had to wait to be shared. I also stuck my self with a piece of glass, not so clever. Have to remember to sloooow down.

*This is a new word I have come across recently

Some like it... hotter

phew, today was hot, about 32c....which is lovely unless you also spend 6 hours of it in the hotshop blowing glass. For the evening shift Nadine and I took a break after each object, letting the pink from our faces fade before we got back into it. Lots of water was consumed, but somehow it is never enough.

Shovel nosed lizard, does it's 'too hot' footwork

Blowing with Tegan and then Kate

Tegan had the wonderful idea of making mini bubble nets for brooches. Smaller does not mean easier, amazing how often we forget that!

Glass prac 6: Goblets

Andrew runs out of floor.....

So...I need some of these!

In hot sculpting blown glass there are times when you need to shape the glass from the inside. That's where these kind of tools come in handy. These ones are made by Jasen Johnsen.

Glass elective with Susie Peck: 4

Proposals were handed in just in time (that's considered efficient in manufacturing circles you know) and we pow wowed the 2nd years projects. the group did a quick appraisal of each idea in a practical technique sense. Megan = Brandy balloons with a solid base and lip wrap, Ash = A wide , flattened tight lipped object that has to be seen not described, Erica = cloud shapes and Karen = perfume bottle with a slight hourglass and wavy tendrils from the bottom.

Susie trialled each shape, some techniques worked better than others but I think it gave us a better sense of looking at whats working rather than just waiting for the perfect out come. Then we split into groups, 2 third years helping each second year..with the idea that between us we would remember Susie's demo and concentrate on their forms.

Glass elective with Susie Peck: 3

Ampolina's, an ancient vessel design that is a rather nifty practice piece for 'bits'. Drawings and notes to come once  I collect my camera from the gallery I left it in.
Link shared by Eliot! thank you.
http://youtu.be/OLnyDULFOrk

This one is slightly different, but less bums in front of the camera

Glass elective with Susie Peck: 2

Last week, Susie had just that morning landed in the country, so we forgive her for resting up the jet lag rather than having a full on day of blowing classes. This is a class that we share with the second years, and today it started with a round table discussion of techniques we would like to see and some glassy words.

Techniques List (so far):
Enameling / raysist
decals
incalmo
switching axis
colour cups (bungers)
Hot sculpting ? solid / powder / bits
punty practice
one gather tumblers
thinner glass (venetian)

Group Glassy words:
temperamental, transformational, optical, shiny, mercurial, transparent, opaque, brittle, man-made, magical, malleable, magnifying, translucent, reflective, hot, strong, hard, sleek, fragile, illusionist, liar, storyteller, viscous, decorative, redundant, functional, refrective, alluring, amazing, tactile, deceptive, tool, liquid, solid cold.

We went on into the hot shop where Susie demoed a bicarb soda, incalmo donut (and 3 pronged punty)  and then when the colour-box heated up the next demo was making colour cups and putting them away and then using one of them for an incalmo bowl.

Makers who 'sculpt' hot glass:  Seems to happen a lot at Tyler School of art..

Martin Janecky
Billy Morris
karen Willenbrink
Randy Walker
Ross Richmond
Eoin Breadon (in the You Tube clip)

quick in the kiln pictures

 

Thanks to Kayo and Marcus, who at different times helped out!

Hot Casting open faced mould

Andrew demoed how to make 'slugs' (more like canon balls) of gathered glass to knock off into the mould. Here is the mould full and at top temp.

Studio glass practical - 5

This mornings demo was making a vessel suitable for a simple cameo. Only some of the colour had arrived on time to be put in a hot box so only 2 were made.

We were also given a list of required assessment pieces, hmm busy busy.

Glass extension blowing - 1

and then the day warmed up

Nadine took this when I wasn't looking

Blowing with Nadine

Nadine set out to make a bowl with different coloured spots, by the time I had delivered the third colour the process was going well...the bowl kinds turned into a vessel thing. Instead of making billets for the maze we made a large bubble each..easier to smash.

Hot shop -12

Hot shop -11

Lene showed us how to add a 'punty base?' that I now can't remember the name of..and at the end of the session made a striped /fake incarmo bowl. I made a stripy vasey plate ...hmmm intriguing. I still need to take a pic.

I present to you the VATE

 

Cupcakes and apples

look what Katie-Ann and Sarah have been making in the hotshop!

Hot shop -10

Katie-Ann (bowls), Sarah (cupcake vessels) and Nadine (clock faces) are getting on with their projects. I'm not enrolled for this class but I am learning a lot from being in it. Apart from assisting I'm learning how to trail colour.. (see yesterday's vase). I was half way through something when the class ended and clean up was about to begin so we knocked the bubble off with a flat bottom ..so it can be a bowl shaped thing.

Blowing with deb

This evening we only made one item each (due to tiredness in both parties). Deb made one of her white spotty tumblers and I tried another blue spiral object...which turned out to be a vase for small flowers.

Blowing with Ana

Ana and I had a blowing slot from 1.30 to 5. I made a jug and a tumbler, maybe 2 tumblers. Ana is making bubbles for a chandelier project, after asking Marcus for a demonstration Ana's bubbles were great!

Hot shop with Lene

Lene is back teaching us blowing again. While she teaches Rob minds tiny little Selma in the hot shop courtyard..talk about starting early! The rest of the class are starting to practice the methods and shapes for their projects (I'm tagging along on this one as I'm doing the print elective). So I made an impossible glass with a colour overlay body. I'm pleased with the evenness of the colour. Nadine tried another interior fold, Katie made a few bowls and Sarah tested the cupcake colour powders in the optic mould.