Friday, November 19, 2010

blow by blow


This past week found me with little free time. I have tried to at least keep up with my reading in blogland to more or less success but finding time to post has been beyond me. This is how my week went.


Saturday – we spent the afternoon turning this



















into this



















in preparation for the electrician scheduled to come out on Wednesday to put in a plug in the garage/shop for the kiln.

Sunday - my unscheduled trip in to Houston to help the g'kids with their science projects. I helped the girls organize their research and experiment results with an outline so they could transcribe the information in a composition book. This was the weirdest thing. Instead of doing an outline (which apparently they don't teach students to do anymore), the teacher wanted all the information in a composition book with tabbed sections. Essentially, an outline but a totally different form. Then I helped one of the girls make paper as part of her research. For someone who had never made 'handmade paper' before and didn't have the right equipment exactly and didn't know how it was supposed to look or how thick it should be, I think Autumn and I did pretty well.

Monday – revised three drawings, worked on proposals, followed up other business stuff and preparing for my day in Houston on Tuesday.




















Tuesday
another day in Houston working in our friend Gene's studio. We are collaborating on a series of pieces for the upcoming annual open house that our glass blower friends have every year and graciously invite others to participate. We are doing three sets of the drawings we did the samples from for the fused glass art panels we are proposing for the church. One set (one of each flower) done thick in different layers, one set done fused like the samples for the church and one set done kiln carved. This day we got two of the deep pieces and the three fused pieces in the kiln.

Wednesday – oh happy day!

























The electrician showed up and got our 220 plug and 50 amp breaker installed. I spent the day cutting out the various flower pieces out of the fiber paper (a refractory material) and it took me til long after dark to finish.








Thursdayheaded into Houston (again) to work in Gene's studio for an hour or so to get the kiln formed set (kiln carved – slumping over fiber paper) in the kiln. Next we headed to our in-town shop to collect the kiln (our other kiln is at my sister's house here in the country). Couldn't get it out of the shop, the door was about an inch too narrow. Don't ask how we got it in, we couldn't remember. Anyway, Marc had to deconstruct part of the door frame which wouldn't seem to be that big of a job except that we hadn't brought the tool box with us. So he mangled it apart with a leatherman type tool, a pipe wrench and a pair of pliers, got the kiln out and then had to put it back together again with the same lack of tools. On our way out of town we stopped at a potential client's house so I could show them the sample (we're doing a kiln carved piece for their window) and the final proposal, got our deposit and headed home.

Friday – today we wrestled the kiln out of the truck
















and got it moved and plugged in.




















I am taking it easy and organizing all my glass frit. I have molds to fill!






















15 comments:

  1. Busy busy busy!

    Hey. Sometimes ya just gotta get stuff done.

    :-)

    Pearl

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  2. I'm totally worn out, just reading this. You need time off from everybody and everything.

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  3. I hope your weekend has a little quiet time somewhere in the mix! Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving, too :)

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  4. Ellen, you are one busy, creative woman! Hope you find a little time just to relax on the weekend.

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  5. Sounds like a very productive week! Have a great weekend!

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  6. Holy Toledo, woman! You have been crazy busy. But don't you just love organizing the frit? Sometimes I just move beads around and am happy!

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  7. What a week - and what a kiln - all the wrestling worth it!

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  8. I love that flower and the tile.

    You should be very content with your productiveness...I have none so I am in awe!

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  9. You gather no moss, Ellen. Whew!! You're a force of nature.

    So - you burned a bridge this week? So did I. Feels great, doesn't it??

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  10. ellen - what a whirlwind. i love seeing the process of the processes of your work unfold. steven

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  11. Now that's an impressive picture! Followed by a series of lovely ones. I always wish there was a way to borrow an artist's view into the world for a few minutes. I'd return it unharmed, I swear. I'm just convinced that artists see things that I don't see, or fail to comprehend.

    Admittedly, I suppose that what you create is the same as allowing me to borrow your view. That stained glass, in particular, made me sigh with pleasure. Just such a lovely, simple, vivid image.

    Thank you for sharing.

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  12. You are so much more productive than I am - I'm, um, lazy by nature :)

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  13. No wonder you had no time to blog.
    Blogging has to take a backseat to real life and work, otherwise what would we all have to blog about?

    I probably couldn't afford it.

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  14. I just realized I'm lucky...my art IS my blog. :-)

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  15. Looking fabulous Ellen. Your work is as lovely as ever.

    And you organization skills are just spectacular.

    I have a closet....do you think, perhaps....lol

    :) Hugs!

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