Details, details

The good thing about all this snow we are having in Bonny Scotland, at the moment, is the startling, colours and details you can find in the local landscape.  Just look at the blue in this sky....against the white...or is it white against the blue.

I have been busy working on a number of commissions for Christmas, having to complete them early so that people can get them before the holidays.  I am worrying about the posting of them just now, as roads are blocked right across the central area of the country.

Well, back to picking stencils again.

put your right line in, take your right line out..in out in out.....

So, the second stage carving,I've been working on a tree..all gnarly trunk and textured branches. The process involves taking small pieces of the design out, and then blasting and then putting other pieces back in and blasting..thoroughly enjoyable, but painstaking...you always run the risk of a piece of the design being blasted off and then.....whoof...the glass is wasted. Take a breath and Start again!

Another issue is photographing etched glass...if anyone knows a good solution to lighting...please contact me....I would love to know..I've tried coloured lights from below, or a nice black and white picture with light from behind....any help, ideas would be great.

second stage carving

Black and white picture of Geranium

I've been doing some work on second stage carving and now I feel that I am starting to get closer towards some goals I have set my self for this year.  I spent some time last year concentrating on working on etching cream, which gave me the experience of designing flat designs on coloured glass and experimenting on prototypes.   Forward planning is quite time consuming, and all encompassing, as I try to watch my favourite TV programmes and find myself, wafting away, thinking about the details of a leaf or anything I am working on.  You can not plan enough for second stage carving, the designing is very strategic. Have a think as to how you would etch this picture  above  and remember it is all about negative and positive image.  I love it.

Pick stencil or pick sauce..hmmm

Now that the "nights are fair drawn in"  I have moved my stenciling area from the garage, where the cold freezes my stencil picking hand into some kind of claw - to the kitchen, where its warm and light and I can hear the radio without straining.  Here you can see a stencil - one I made earlier -  I pick(weed) everything out to reveal the design I would like to blast.   The only problem is, being in the kitchen I am also closer to food...and my friend had bought me the most fantastic chocolate fudge sauce!...I feel like Hommer Simpson...stencil or sauce ,stencil or sauce oh and cup of tea...and ..aargh!

Please watch this on You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WjN8Wv1Z1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF-AU5GM-HE


Two fantastic links to film of Jiri Harcuba.  A Master Craftman and artist.  He uses a copper wheel to carve into the glass and just makes impossible art.  I am unable to place any photographs of his work on my blog, but please seek him out on Google.

Mirror - experiments

I've been experimenting with mirror - etch and colour..it has some potential, the colour is quite pale, but subtle and the etch on the mirror is crisp....I need to keep experimenting....I can get the paint into the design, but cleaning it off is very time consuming.

http://www.scotlandsglass.co.uk/cms/
This link takes you to a fabulous site for glass called Scotland's Glass.  You can find loads of information about glass makers, companies, stained glass etchers, glass fusers and glass blowers...a fantastic piece of work in keeping it up-to-date.  The site also charts the history of glass in Scotland and every so often I have a surf through to see what has happened in the past and what is happening now.  Fabulous.

the things you see when you don't have a camera!

Part of the process before sandblasting is to prepare a stencil and pick out the pieces you want blasted first.  This can take quite a while...sore backs, squinty looks through the magnifying glass...so  looking out the window.. for a break,  I cant believe what I see, in the field next door... a grey cat being chased by a handful of crows and two Magpies across the middle of the field.  Even the horses are looking interested.  The birds are dive bombing the cat and he is having to hit the deck and then sprint towards the hedge....the little horse is also following him!..fast as you like cat has disappeared ...and the pony has chased the birds!...what are the chances of timing it to see that?..

.ah well back to picking out the stencils..the professional name is "weeding", but as I have a garden to look after, the less I use this term the less guilty I feel!!

Inspiration plants!

Plants and leaves are just fantastic for getting ideas for glass.  Maidenhair Fern is a real favourite of mine. I've used lovely green and yellow Waterglass  to give it translucence...