We got more rain Thursday night, or rather early in the morning, which is good. Friday mid-morning in the 80s which was a much appreciated break from the mid to high 90s we've been suffering through except for one thing, the humidity. With the high temps and no chance of rain the humidity had been staying fairly low, mid 40s%. Friday it shot up to 91% before it dropped to the 60s%. This Saturday morning it's 83˚ and 89% humidity which basically makes it feel like high 90˚s. Can't win for losing. Even when the temperature is tolerable it still feels oppressively hot.
Yesterday 7 of the molds got steamed out. By that I mean the investment aka mold material, which is a plaster/silica flour mix, with the wax model encased is placed open end down over a pot of boiling water, the steam rises up and melts the wax out of the mold.
Once that's done I inspect the molds, clean them up, rinse them out and then do the volume measure so that I know how much weight of glass it takes to fill the form. I do that by weighing a container of water, pour some into the mold filling the form of the model and then weighing the container of water again. Subtract one from the other, multiply by the specific gravity of the glass, 2.5 in my case, and it gives you the weight of glass needed in grams.
I'm going to set these aside for a week or so to let the molds cure while I select the colors as well as decide to use transparent or opaque glass, frit or powder (I won't bore you about why these choices matter). Two more molds got made today, next week the last four.
Here's half the frivolous post, the little creatures who live here with us.
This honey bee seemed a little confused about which part of the flower she was supposed to go to as she explored the ends of several petals on the white orchid tree flowers.
This tiny gecko which couldn't have been longer than 1 1/4” head to tip of it's tail and looked to be just hatched was on the wall in the bathroom and we have no idea how it got there.
This little golden orb weaver is young, her body is only about 3/4”. She'll get much bigger.
Big Mama, our 32 year old red ear slider, felt it necessary to remind me she hadn't been fed today.
And last a little tree frog hanging out on the molding of the back door. I took this picture through the glass. First one I've seen this gray color.
I love your wildlife notes and pix. The glass work is so technical and labor and time intensive!
ReplyDeleteThis particular technique is and of course it would be the one I was drawn to. Blown glass and fused glass, even lampworking is much less technical and time consuming though they all have their technical issues.
DeleteI hope that little bee gets straightened out. Her confusion is not a good sign. I found a preying mantis the other day. An inch long baby, pretty newly hatched. Looking forward to seeing the assembled box!
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you are able to share your world with these wonderful creatures, despite the heat and humidity. Those conditions must sap every bit of energy from you.
ReplyDeleteNobody stays out for long.
DeleteI just walked outside and it felt like I'd entered a steam bath. Humidity- 84%.
ReplyDeleteOur worlds look so similar with creatures and flora. However, I am not a scientist or artist and you are both!
I love these photos of the wildlife there. I can't imagine what it must be like to have a 32 year old turtle. What a nice long friendship.
ReplyDeleteIt's been cloudy gray here for days and days. Temps don't get above 60. I can't believe we call this summer.
I wondered how the wax same out of the mold! I love seeing your critters.
ReplyDeleteHow often do you feed the turtle? You've had her for a really long time, that's pretty cool. I never knew how much went in to making glass.
ReplyDeleteI looked a feeding schedule up once and as I recall it said an amount the size of the head every two days but I think it was referring to turtle sticks which I do give her every week or two to make sure she's getting the nutrients she needs but they are vegetarians so I usually cut up a small bowl of tomatoes and fruit and give it to her every couple of days. She climbs out of the pond and makes a beeline for me when she sees me in the yard if she's really hungry but they have to be in the water to eat. I also grow elephant ears and sword leaf for her. She doesn't really eat in the winter. She's cold, the water is cold and she sort of hibernates though she'll come out on her suning board on relatively warm days. She really likes watermelon.
DeleteIt's this particular technique. Blowing and fusing and torchwork are less involved.
DeleteYou have lots of cool neighbors! That little gecko reminds me of one I had in my bedroom in Hawaii. He would visit every night that I was studying.
ReplyDeleteI love all your little critters! I would totally be paralyzed if I was trying to make the art you do - there's so much time & effort and THEN you have to decide on the type of glass & colors. I would just stop at the step & never proceed. Ha!
ReplyDeleteYour critter are cool! (well, except for the spider and the red lizard... LOL Fascinating learning about creating glass art. The only glass art I've seen/know of is Chihuly https://tinyurl.com/57k7wcjh Just love his work... I've collected art glass for years but can't afford anything of his.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, I'm steeling my resolve for work this coming week. It's going to mean starting at 7 and working until 8, with a bit of an afternoon break. At least in September, when the heat lingers, the sun's not so high in the sky and cooling begins sooner. This is going to be nasty, but needs must, as they say! I saw someone post a photo of a little gray tree frog recently, but I can't remember who it was. I think it might have been a gardener in Austin -- or perhaps the one I follow in Montgomery County. Anyway: yours is as cute as the green variety.
ReplyDeleteThe little gecko brings out my maternal instinct!!
ReplyDelete