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Technique, getting started
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Most work starts from photographs i have taken. I then process the photo thru Photoshop photo editing software. While i intend to have hundreds and hundreds of custom blended frit I won't have the millions of colors that the eye can see. Editing allows me to break my photo down to any number of hues i desire. I can "posterize" or process thru "dry brush" or many other filters. I then print the edited photo and work from it.
Each art piece requires it's own palette and while i have several hundred blends of frit already in stock i found that i need to make many more per project. I select stock frit and blend it with other stock frit in a dozen or so porportions. I carefully record the ratios directly onto the plastic tubs i will use to store the new glass. I pour out the new blend of dry fine frit on the kiln shelf in long strips. I make a kiln shelf worth of these new hues and then do a quick fire to 1500 degrees. When cool each strip is ground into frit and stored in the little tubs. A sample of the color has been melted in a dollop and then glued to the lid for reference. I repeat this process until I complete the pallette necessary to do the work.
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I begin the work on the clear glass sheet by drawing the outlines of the color areas directly onto the glass. I fill in the larger areas of light color first using the "fines" from the crushing as a background to future additions. When the entire piece is covered and I can't tell what it is anymore I fire it to about 1465 degrees. This fuses the glass but it retains it "shape". I then repeat the process about 6 more times, each time filling in more detail and adding in larger chunks (3/16") that will be distinct. Each firing is a little cooler so that the glass retains the previous shapes as well as the new additions.
When i am satisified that the piece is as good as it will get I cover the piece with clear frit and maybe place it on a piece of white glass and fire to a high temp. The clear on top "locks in" the build up and gives a finished smooth face while the white background adds a translucent backing and finishes off the piece.
Most pieces are mounted with standoffs to white foamcore with a black border matt then framed in a black and silver art frame. As my intention is to create beautiful paintings with glass it is important to matt and frame and make them suitable for wall hanging. The standoffs allow some ambient light to reflect off of the white foamcore and bounce thru the glass, bringing the beautiful translucent glass to life.
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| Sunrise Landscape on the kiln shelf |
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