Modeling Glass Tips and Tricks
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Every month I'll be writing about how to use Modeling Glass in your work, and hopefully answering some questions that will help you get the results you want. There's always a learning curve with a new product, and there are considerations working with frit and powder that you don't have when firing sheet glass.
There is a full set of FAQs on the Modeling Glass website at
www.modelingglass.com
. You can also find back issues of all my e-newsletters there!
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NEW PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON
This month's eNews is a bit late due to my insane travel/teaching schedule. In the last 30 days I've been to Denver CO, Austin TX, Houston TX, and Richland, WA. Wrapping up this year's teaching with all these workshops has been exhausting, but so rewarding! I have met a lot of really talented artists and been welcomed to some top-notch studios! My appreciation to
D&L Art Glass, Hollander Glass, and
DB Studios at Barnard Griffin Winery for hosting me. Yes, that's right...a fused glass studio on the grounds of a winery! Somebody pinch me.
Now I'm looking forward to a quieter fall and winter, working on some of my own art for a change, and developing new projects for Modeling Glass. So what ARE these new projects, you ask? Without spilling all the beans, I will say that there is a
VIDEO TUTORIAL in the works, being produced by the brilliant folks at
AAE Glass. That is slated to be released very soon. "Exploring Modeling Glass" will focus on my signature technique of making feathers. Stay tuned for more in the November newsletter!
I'm also working on an
EBOOK, which will be out when I'm done with it (LOL). I can't promise it will be ready by Christmas, but I'm shooting for some time in the next couple of months. This will be an introduction to basic methods for working with Modeling Glass...with lots of projects, photos, firing schedules, and everything you need to know for getting started with this great new product.
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Coming Soon! Exploring Modeling Glass: Making Realistic Feathers
A New Video From
AAE Glass
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EXPANDED INSTRUCTIONS FOR MODELING GLASS NOW AVAILABLE!
In response to various questions that have come from artists working with Modeling Glass, I have updated and expanded the instructions that come with each Starter Kit. There are now guidelines for mixing small batches of Modeling Glass, additional firing schedules, and much more. You can view the updated instructions
here.
Thanks to everyone who has emailed me with questions, problems, and successes. It's really helped me to know what additional information to provide.
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Basic Modeling Glass Technique Ebook in the Works
See these cute little succulents on the right? These were all made with Modeling Glass, with no molds. In my upcoming ebook, you'll learn all the techniques that are needed to sculpt shapes, mix, and successfully fire your Modeling Glass projects. There will be a ton of projects and hacks to make really unique works of art. Stay tuned for more information and a release date...I'm working on it!
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A BIT OF DAY OF THE DEAD FUN
"Calavera Catrina del Mar" measures 10.5" w x 10.25" h x .5" d. She is inspired by a famous old engraving by the Mexican artist Juan Posada from around 1903. It was powerful social satire in its day, and I decided to use it again in an updated manner as my statement about the tendency to ignore the environmental issues of our day in favor of mass media distractions. Hence the skeleton fashionista up to her sternum in the ocean, mesmerized by her phone. All made with Modeling Glass in the pate de verre style, but with no molds.
This piece features the newly available
ROGUE ENAMELS
, which are quickly becoming a favorite among many glass artists! They are distributed by Glass eMotions from Ottawa, Canada. One of the best things (other than the yummy colors and silky smooth application) is that they are very affordable. You can get 3 ounces for less than one ounce of some other brands. They are sold as a powder that you can mix to suit your project. AND if you blend white enamel into a regular batch of Modeling Glass made from clear powder, you get the BEST, BRIGHTEST WHITE ever, even at tack temperatures. That is what I used to make the white skeleton and feather on the hat. Just dissolve 1 teaspoon of enamel powder into the water before you add it to the mix, and you will get a terrific white. Think of all the other colors you can mix in the same way, using clear powder (the cheapest) and tinting it with your enamel. Endless possibilities!
It's a departure from my typical work, but I feel strongly that I need to use my art to do more than just make attractive decorative objects. This piece represents a new direction for me, one in which I plan to continue expressing my own concerns (and hopefully the shared concerns of our culture) about climate change, species loss, and other environmental issues. I liked using the skeleton because it bypasses all issues of race...under the skin we all look exactly the same.
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This year's workshops were extremely fun, and I'm honored to have been able to instruct so many talented artists in how to work with Modeling Glass. Next year's workshops will feature a different feather, but that's not all you'll learn! We do several projects that help you stretch your imagination and get a grasp of the many ways you can incorporate Modeling Glass into your artwork. In order to do some of my own art and finish other projects that will be informative to Modeling Glass users, I'm doing fewer workshops in 2020. Here is a list of where I'll be teaching and when:
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April 4 Demo Day at Las Vegas Glass Craft and Bead Expo at D&L Glass Booth
May 15-17 Old Hickory, TN at This Little Light Art Glass
June 4-6 Frederick, MD at Anything in Stained Glass
June 15-17 Bristol, UK at Creative Glass Guild
August 7-9 Ottawa, Canada at Glass eMotions
September 16-18 Denver, CO at D&L Art Glass
October 23-25 Phoenix, AZ at Milkweed Arts
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Modeling Glass
This new product was developed by Lois Manno of Glass Bird Studios. It is a two-part system made of a powdered binder and liquid medium that, mixed with frit or powders along with a little water, turns the powder into a material that can be sculpted like clay. It is featured in the workshops she teaches.
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Want to purchase Modeling Glass? A list of retailers is available on the website. The list keeps growing, so check back. Ask your glass retailer to add Modeling Glass to their stock if they don't have it!
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Dear glass artist: you're receiving this message because you have expressed interest in Modeling Glass or Glass Bird Studios. If you would like to continue receiving occasional emails about Modeling glass, workshops, and user tips, there is no action for you to take. If you wish to unsubscribe from the list, you can do so at the bottom of this message. Thanks for your interest in Modeling Glass!
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