Summer/Fall 2015 On the Road!

Classes on The Road!

Teaching is one of the most gratifying things I do as an artist.  I love my students! Helping a student realize their goals, dreams, and potential is exciting and fulfilling to me. Whether it's a technical challenge or a concept development issue, I love the the actions of problem solving and overcoming hurdles. Sharing the laughter and support of fellow students during the process, well it just can't be beat! Catch one of my classes in my home studio outside of San Antonio, TX, or jump into one of my classes on the road!

July 18 - 19, 2015 - Jen-Ken Kilns, Lakeland, FL. - Hot Stuff - Harnessing Flow in Your Kiln

Aug. 21, 2015 - BeadFest, Philadelphia, PA. - Metal Clay 960; Lentil Beads with Stones

Aug. 22, 2015 - BeadFest, Philadelphia, PA. - Metal Clay Pendants with Vintage China

Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 - SiNaCa Studios, Fort Worth, Texas - Sculptural Glass with Imagery

Nov. 6 - 8, 2015 - Milkweed Arts, Phoenix Arizona - Sculptural Glass with Imagery

Hot Stuff - Harnessing Flow in Your Kiln

In this fast paced 2-day workshop students will learn the secrets to creating the elusive progressive pattern bar and spectacular pot and screen melts! We'll even learn the set ups for beautiful vitrograph cane! All these exciting techniques create fantastic components for use in sculptural and functional glasswork. Each student will use their choice of centerpiece components to create a gorgeous cheese tray using the new Patty Gray Dam Mold. Students will gain the knowledge of set up and layout of pattern bars, pot melts, and screen melts in the kiln, firing schedules and kiln programming, building dams, pulling vitrograph cane, cutting cane, and more. Be prepared for FUN! We'll be setting up and running kilns, prepping molds, using tile saws, lap wheels, grinders, the sandblaster, and pulling hot glass from the kilns! Students; Please wear closed toe shoes, bring a 100% cotton long sleeved shirt, & safety glasses. Some glass fusing experience is required.

Metal Clay 960; Lentil Beads with Stones

PMC 960 Sterling Silver is an exciting medium that allows you to produce quality, detailed hollow designs in sterling silver without the mess or equipment required for traditional jewelry casting. Beginners will love the ability to create personalized, one-of-a-kind lentil focal beads that they can wear alone on a chain, or add to their favorite beaded designs. In just one day students will create enviable heirloom quality silver pendants that work with any style.

Metal Clay Pendants with Vintage China

Jump into Bezel Setting in Metal Clay! This workshop will introduce you to the exciting world of setting inclusions Metal Clay. We will work with PMC 3 and fine silver bezel wire, to add beautiful vintage china shards and make pendants that are truly romantic, art deco, Asian and more! Don't miss this hybrid approach to new techniques in soldering on metal clay that will open the door to loads of new possibilities in jewelry making.

Sculptural Glass with Imagery

Take your fused glass beyond the bowl! It’s time to create light catching sculpture communicates. It doesn’t matter if you’re going for a loose abstract design or a photographic image, you’ll learn how to make it happen in this exciting new workshop! Each new skill and technique can be applied to small work as well as larger projects, making this a “don’t miss” class. The focus of this workshop is on the development and printing of images in tall, transparent, slab sculptures. Students will learn screen-printing, powder applications, and direct painting techniques to apply their imagery to multiple layers of glass. The image layers will then be fired, stacked, and fired again to create tall thick slabs of transparent glass. The slabs will then be cut, ground, polished and mounted on steel bases. Students will become skilled at preparing personalized images, creating their own screens, painting and layering powders and enamels, and mastering the firing schedules that deliver success. In addition, students will experience effective kiln casting and cold working techniques. Each student will cut, grind and polish their pieces, and learn how to mount their base pieces. Fusing experience is necessary to participate, but advanced skills are not required to be successful!

Timing is Everything!

Somedays things come together, and somedays they don't. Today was a mix of the two. I finally got the glass pieces on their stands. They look great with the light coming through them. I'm glad to have them done. I am supposed to send a piece to a piece to the exhibition at the Art Museum of South Texas for am invitational show. I'm inclined to send this piece, but I think it might be too small to make a good impact. It is 7" x 11" x 1",  It did turn out great though!

Cross Examination - Front View

Cross Examination - Back View

This is a piece of mine that's still in progress. It's inspired by my wonderful Archie who loves me unconditionally. (Archie's a dog. Just in case you didn't know.) Archie is more grown up now, not so puppyish anymore, like this picture. Anyway, his sweetness infiltrates my heart and makes me melt.

I'm debating on how much of the top to take off. And/or if I should add any more painting to the piece. It's two overlaid screen prints with enamels and then hand painted. I'm also debating a stand so light can come through the water and back or framing it. Opinions from the gallery are appreciated.

In the Weeds - Still in Progress

This piece is called "The Script." The text in the door talks about how we're all given a script of the roles we should play and what happens when we choose not to follow that script.

The Script

Today, there was a disconnect with someone over what was written in "my script" vs "their script." I think had we just talked, instead of emailing, the scripts would have come together.  Maybe time will bring it all back where it should be. I guess we all have those misunderstandings on occasion. I'm bummed that if went so off track. Anyway, this piece was finished today and finally put on it's stand. I'm working hard on perspective and proportion in my glass pieces. It can be a challenge to get the sizes right and maintain a sense of depth. This piece is 7" x 11" x 1". Light pours through the piece.

Last, and maybe least.....

Flourish in the Box

This is a piece I did on February 8th. Lisa, Francesca and I actually got about 90 minutes to sit down and play. That almost never happens. We all painted and experimented. I don't know if this is good or junk, but I like the color. The human figure really speaks to me. I can hardly do a piece without one anymore. mostly it was great to just be in the studio experimenting with my pals by my side.

This Mixed Media piece is on Arches watercolor board with Inktense blocks and pencils.  One day I'll attempt this in glass. 

A New Class! And New Exciting Toys!

I just wanted to let everyone know about a new class I've just added to my teaching schedule! I don't often teach night classes, but I've had so many requests for them, that I've added this one. 

Our New Front Door Sign! C'mon In!

Kiln Forming I

Learn the fundamental techniques required for functional fused glass art and sculpture. In this course students will be introduced to the working properties of glass including; compatibility, heating, design issues, and more. Students will work with sheet glass, rods, frit, stringer, enamels, and various inclusions to create a variety of projects. Students will gain knowledge of firing schedules and programming the kiln. Additionally, students will learn about cold working glass and related equipment. Student projects will include jewelry, plates, bowls, pendant lighting, glass wall prints, and cast glass sculptures.

In this course students will experience fusing, slumping, tack fusing, casting and weaving techniques. We’ll work with mold making techniques, drilling holes, and other cold working techniques to refine the work. We will also learn the basics of image transfer onto glass including; gel mediums, screen-printing with enamels, and so much more.

Here are the details:
The class will be 10 sessions and we'll cover A LOT! Workshop Fee $450, Materials Fee $175

Time: 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm 
Thursdays- 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/13, 4/3, 4/10,4/17, 5/8Wednesday - 4/23Tuesday - 3/18

Here's the link to sign up for the fusing class. 

Link to Workshop Sign Up - Click Here

Link to Materials Kit Sign Up - Click Here

One of the links is the workshop, the other is the materials kit.

Looking forward to seeing you!  

Feel free to contact me with questions you might have!

I just wanted to share my excitement over my new toys! I ordered 3 new lap wheels in from Covington Engineering. They arrived a few weeks ago and I'm just getting around to hooking them up! Lisa and I are sharing an 18" wheel, and then I ordered a 12" wheel and a portable 8" wheel. Can't wait to use them!

The 12" Covington Lap wheel! I built a rolling stand for it so I can move it from place to place!

The 18" Covington Lap Wheel that Lisa and I are sharing!

Screen printing on high fires!

I'm so proud of my great students. They worked really hard to get their images perfect! Way to go!!!!

What an awesome class!  My students were the best!  Here's a look at some of their great work!

Las Vegas Glass Craft Expo, and other musings....

This week I venture off to Las Vegas for the Glass Craft Expo! I'm teaching 4 classes; Printmaking Techniques for glass artists, Electroforming on Glass, Glass on Metals; Torch and Kiln Fired Enamels, Modern Jewelry; Beyond Dichroics. I love teaching at this venue because of the mix of students. There are absolute beginners, intermediate level hobbyists, and professionals who make a living selling their work. In addition there are industrial design folks who make glass for tiles, architectural installation, etc. The manufacturers are also present at this venue, so there is a sense of discovery of all that is new and exciting in the field. Being a tool junkie myself, I find it irresistible. if you haven't been to the show, and you are involved in glass, make it your business to go. It's a ball! Just make sure you have money in your pocket, because you will be tempted by all the goodies. See ya when I get back! If you are there...come visit me in Las Vegas! We're at the South Point Hotel and Convention Center  I am in classroom GBB1!  See you there!

This is titled "Good Girl." It's screen printed with enamels. I used Flexi-glass medium and french vanilla powder to create the "torn paper" effect for the background. On the final slump I rubbed some of the enamel from the front into the grooves on the back to color the back a little more of a blush tone. I think it worked out well!
Can anyone guess who this is?...and it's not Marilyn.

This piece is bronze, silver, and copper. It's kind of simplistic and organic.  I like it because it reminds me of the jewelry made during the Bauhaus period (1917-1929). It is true to the materials. It kind of looks like coffee beans, but that's not what I was going for. 

This is my first finished encaustic mixed media piece.
I got to play in my studio and I really wanted to try something new.
I'm still trying to figure things out with this wax stuff, but I really like it!

This piece is 8" x 8".  I love doing mixed media pieces. This is tissue, photos, stamps, wire, paint, and hardware.
I'm looking forward to dong this on a large scale, but I'm learning a lot doing these in these smaller scale.

Friday's Classes - Image Prep and Screen Printing on Glass!

Friday's classes were fantastic. I had six wonderful students who really created spectacular results! The first half of the day we spent working on our photographs and learning to convert them to screen print ready images. The process was easy to some and daunting to others. It really does depend on your familiarity with your computer, your software, and their capabilities. Once my awesome students understood the steps, it was smooth sailing and they began to add, subtract, highlight and further their images to suit the specific needs of screen printing on glass. We worked in a 6" square format.

I love the variance of subject matter!

We worked from full color photos to create crisp one color images which could then be screened printed into our glass, multiple times in multiple colors if desired. Then in the afternoon, we created the screens and pulled the prints on 6mm clear glass.

This photo originally had an ornate background. I love the vintage look!

We discussed what the students could do with their panels and their screens and everyone was excited by the possibilities. The pieces will be coming out of the kiln today and I can't wait to see what the students do next!

A few grandkid photos were done too!

Even a Greek statue!

I really like these! They are so interesting.

Finished the Climbing Piece

Here's the finished piece I referred to in yesterday's blog. The text behind the climber is a group of quotes from Ghandi. They are about inner growth and the betterment of spirit. The woman climbing represents our drive to become more evolved as people. It's something I'm really exploring right now. My work is constantly evolving, but much of my current work explores identity issues. 

This work, called The Climb, is 1" thick. 9" x 4.5".
Kilnformed glass and enamels.

Side view

i haven't determined the display vehicle yet. It could go into a light box of frame. Still thinking on that!

Printmaking on Glass

Wednesday's class was fantastic! We made silk screens, created our own photo resists, created photo transfers, worked with Gel Medium for ink transfer, and finally focused on direct painting with Enamels! The workshop, which was a consolidated version of our regular class gave everyone a taste of print making techniques and provided all the students with a sample of each type to take home. There sure was a lot to cover in a short period of time, but we did it and still managed to laugh!

A big thanks to Gary M. for his awesome seafood gumbo and homemade cornbread for lunch!  It was truly a southern treat!

Here are some pictures to give ya'll a feel for the whirlwind that was our day!

This is a combination of silk screened and photo resist samples.
There's even a photo transfer with some overlaid enamel!

More overlaid enamels!

Here's the gel medium transfers, and the photo transfers.

My sample of a silk screen thumb print under a photo resist figure.

This is a thick block that has photo resist works inside and an enamel painting on top.
This is in the kiln now! (I'll post a finished picture when it's complete.)

Here's my painted enamels overtop of a gel medium transfer background.

Here's part of the group dry filling their blasted resists!

Join us for the next one of these workshops in October!  Here's a few sample photo's.....

Weekend Update!

It's Wednesday and I'm just now getting to blog about the long Memorial Day weekend!  I accomplished a lot at the studio and at home! YEA!

On Saturday I had a great Introduction to Precious Metal Clay workshop with some wonderful gals!  We had a great time! Here are a couple of the things I made. We did an awesome lentil bead too!

This was from a silicone stamp.
I didn't expect it to look this good.
I really like it. The white topaz
is bezel set using PMC syringe.

Here's the PMC lentil bead.
Beginners are always surprised they can
actually do this! It's pretty easy...and beautiful.

This was a tiny bit of left over clay,
so I made this star from an old rubber
mold I made about 10 years ago!
Those things are good forever.

Here's the piece I am still mucking around with from last weekend's metal etching class.

This weekend, it's back to glass!
We have a great LIQUID GLASS CLASS!
We'll be doing pot melts, screen melts, high fires, and combing!
JOIN US! Saturday and Sunday!

On a totally different note, I'm all set for my 2013 Glass Craft Expo classes in Las Vegas! Patty approved my workshops, so I'm good to go! Next year I'll also be teaching in Dallas, Houston, and Phoenix. I'd love to do more, but don't know how much more I'll be able to do with school. (Got an A in my first class, pfew!)

On Monday I made chocolate soufflé for the family. My Facebook friends helped me out with input on how to avoid screwing it up!  Thanks to Bert and his sister, and to Sharon, it turned out great. It just now occurred to me that I could make that in the kiln.....hmmmmm!

This was actually a kind of easy recipe - BHG!

Vessel Sinks and Metal Etching 'r Us!

Here are the 2 sinks I'm working on! Today, I drilled the hole and countersink on the silver grey one. It's packed up and ready to go to Jorge in California. It was time consuming to polish that edge, but totally worth it in the end. They'll love it!

This sink is light silver grey and silver grey fracture irid special production glass.

The golds, the blues, the silvers, and the plums...make this an awesome design.

The customer is putting this on a black countertop, but on white you can see how transparent it is!

This is the second sink. It is for my dear friend Luanne's guest bath remodel. The sink is finished, but because we adore her, we're going to do the special flattened, polished edge. It will likely take me a few hours, but I want it to be very special for her.

So tomorrow, you'll catch me hanging out at the flat lap for a while. I'm still kind of sore from the grey sink polishing, but I'll think of this as my abdominal and bicep workout! Sometimes I dance and polish at the same time just to make the time go faster. Since I'm wearing my earphones, I sing at the top of my lungs. I bet I look hysterical to anyone who stumbles in!

This sink is cast. It's a combination of Grass Green, Turquoise, Light Aqua, Clear w/Silver irid, and light sky blue. I hand pulled black sheet glass into stringer for contrasting lines. I know my clients will love it.

Also, on Sunday we had a metal etching class. Here's the project we did...

This is Nicole's bracelet. We etched copper and brass sheet and then cut, punched and connected jump rings and hand made a clasp. I bet she's wearing it right now!

Denise Leone's class!

Here are some of the blocks we constructed in class. There were so many awesome techniques we learned. Thanks to Denise for teaching us so much! My compressor is happy to have the day off! Yesterday was hot and the compressors engine was giving off a lot of heat. The air just couldn't keep up.