notes from the studio

Wednesday, I laid out the fiber paper shapes for the first of the three panels in the kiln, Gene cut the glass and we positioned them in place, dammed the edges of the glass so it wouldn't puddle out, and turned on the kiln. I meant to take pictures but forgot until we were already on our way home. We are headed back in town Friday to see how it came out and perhaps to get the second panel started, that is if Gene doesn't need to use his kiln.

I'm all nervous about it. I did a small sample of a different design that they were considering and that was what the clients saw when they decided to go with the kiln formed glass even though it had to be done in three panels instead of the one panel of glass if they had gone for the etching. I was thinking all the way home that I should have done a sample of the design they choose first so that I could be sure all the detail of the over-lapping 3/32” fiber paper would show up but that's just not my way. Gene assures me it will. Or rather, he says 'it should'. Will and should are not always the same thing.

I know a lot of artists that do tests and color samples out the wazoo before they fuse or cast a piece. Not me. I fly by the seat of my pants. I make my choices on the run. Not that I don't have a bunch of color samples. I do, but they are made for their own existence, not as a test for any particular piece I'm working on. Mostly it works for me. I hope it does this time too.

We will also finish the etched piece for the art consultant's showroom on Friday, the first of several 'art pieces' I plan to do for them which they will mount in a sort of shadow box. These will serve two purposes, they will function as representations of our work for his clients and they will also be available for sale. He has a big presentation coming up in mid-February and has told me that for this job he has an area in the small lobby (as opposed to the big lobby) earmarked for our work.

I wouldn't say the dam has broken as far as work is concerned but it appears to be weakening. I have some sketches and a proposal to do for a pair of doors and a proposal I gave in November may be about to come around in February. Another project in Colorado might be ready for us this summer and I'm still holding out for the two proposals to the Methodist Church which I had hoped would be funded by now. Still, a job for a shower door slipped through my fingers when the first people they talked to said they couldn't do it and then called back five minutes after the client called me to say they could do it after all. Probably just as well since it was a tight deadline and it had to be shipped to Colorado within that time frame. But it would have been a welcome infusion of income.

not finished yet

I'm also working on the first wax model for the set of nine 4” square blocks. I haven't spent much time back there model making lately since I have had to devote so much time to marketing and kicking some life back into my profession. And finally getting to the production stage of our current job. But in the meantime, we have been casting some of the things I already had ready. The top to the wren box came out and it didn't cast great, has a few 'suckies' on it. 'Suckies' are roundish depressions on the surface of your cast piece, like a shallow crater. They are a particular problem in closed molds. This was actually an open face mold but it had some characteristics of a closed mold around parts of the model.

Oh and the last thing...I stabbed myself today with a #11 hobby knife blade trying to change the blade. The old one was stuck and then it was stuck in me. Right in the pad beneath my ring finger on my right hand. Owww! It bled for a long time. I even took a picture of it but decided to spare you all at the last minute.