Blog Archives

Straight Dope

2/22/2014

Today I spent much of the day grinding on glass... I'm in the process of making two large pieces right now, and I'm thinking they are some of my best work. Of course, I always say that before the art goes into the kiln. Then something unusual or unexpected happens in the kiln~ so I need to stop visualizing the finished work and more so, enjoy the process. I must confess, opening the plaster molds after casting is pretty damn exciting. It's "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat!"

Hope to show ya the finished work by the end of next week. :)

BTW- who in the hell is reading this? Not a single person had any comments about my question (except the friends I talk with everyday) And that's not many.... So the math doesn't add up- or could it be; I just really suck at math? ha ha!

Analysis Paralysis

2/13/2014

I hate it when I have to pull the trigger last minute. So I was hoping to get some help!

I know I have over 200 folks reading the portal of madness aka. "my blog", and frankly I'm quite amazed at the number. I have no idea of who you all are, however I value your input!

One of these pieces will be going to Pratt auction, and I have no clue which one to send. So I'd like to a ask you- Which one do you like more?

The Pillbug or the Spiky Vessel?

Both of these pieces will be professionally shot, so please excuse my crap photos.
Please text, email or leave a comment on my website!

Thank you- alex :)

Open faced vs closed face molds

2/6/2014

I would say about 80% of cast glass is open faced molds. Why? Because open faced molds are easy since you can use clay to sculpt with, then pull out the clay and you have a mold to fill with glass. Open faced molds you can see everything, so if you need to repair a flaw in the refractory; you are able to do so.

In closed faced molds, wax is the medium being invested and steamed out. The wax is much more complex to work with. The process is blind since you have no way of knowing what the refractory looks like after the wax is steamed out.

How could a person tell if the glass is cast in an open or closed face mold? With open faced molds, one side of the sculptural piece will be flat, however the detailed side is photographed. This can cause grief to any glass artist that casts using the "lost wax method" or closed molds. Sometimes the work of the full 3D sculpture doesn't reveal itself in a photo and uninformed folks are inclined to believe the open faced mold artist may be more skilled.

Taken from the Bullseye website:
You can kilncast glass into two kinds of molds: open-faced or closed/semi-closed. In open-faced molds, one side of the mold is completely open; the cold glass is placed directly into the mold through that opening. Using open-faced molds, you can create reverse-relief, bas-relief, pâte de verre, thick-block, and box castings. In molds that are closed/semi-closed, the mold is open only wide enough to allow the glass to flow in from the outside, often through a reservoir. Using closed/semi-closed molds, you can make fully sculptural pieces.

Pictured above is a wax sculpture, almost ready for investment. The cone shaped base is the reservoir for glass. The opening for the sculpture to receive the glass from the reservoir is the size of silver-dollar. Before the piece is invested in refractory, vents with wax sprues/ wooden skewers are placed all over the form in strategic places for proper glass movement, and to capture air bubbles.

February 05th, 2014

2/5/2014

Today I finished investing two pieces. Both I decided to hand build their investments due to the large size of the pieces, I'm hoping at least one will turn out, because I planned on donating one to the Pratt auction. I know I'm a little weird, but instead of giving Pratt something that I've had laying around, I enjoy creating something fresh. Unfortunately, my kilns thermocouple is broken, so tomorrow I'll be replacing it with my "girly screw driver tool" aka. a butter knife. Wish me luck!

FYI- a platform heel makes a fantastic hammer... :)

Will have photos coming

Get out the popcorn

2/1/2014

Perhaps my mind is playing tricks on me and I'm slipping into a delusional state of madness, or I am living in a lonely world surrounded by Aspergers. Whatever the case is- I feel as if I'm watching a horror movie unfold, and the protagonist is doomed...

Straight Dope

Analysis Paralysis

Open faced vs closed face molds

February 05th, 2014

Get out the popcorn

Archives

Categories