Fusing Cracks

I pulled this schedule out of my head to help out a firstie in need. Her beautiful casting had cracked, and was due in a few days. I know that her cracks were successfully healed, and that her sides did not bulge out, despite the fact that they were exposed. I do not, however, have photo documentation, because in all her eagerness she pulled her piece out while it was still a wee bit hot, and put it on the table where it, of course, promptly cracked and broke. Oops!

And in case this information is important in the future, we fuse this piece while it was face down in the sand, not face up.

Mon Feb 18, 2013
Kiln 1
1) 08 ↑ 745°
2) 8:20 @ 745°
3) 8:21 ↓ 516°
4) 11:33 @ 516°
5) 16 ↓ 390°
6) 17 ↓ 50°

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Sandcasting Texture/Release Trials

To further my sand casting series I had a metal casting mold fabricated. This sped up the casting prep so much that it felt like a waste to throw mixed sand in the bottom of the metal mold (for texture), and then carry it all over to the acetylene torch and then back again. So on Saturday Stephanie and I experimented with different textures I could throw down that would have an easy release.

Since there are 26 photos you have to click "read more" for once, otherwise this post is really hard to scroll past!

These are the 8 results:

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Sandcast Language Tiles

These tiles are an extension of the language I was working on earlier in the year. I have five buckets of these wonderful orange plastic things sitting in my room.

So basically, this is a little bit complicated to explain. The idea here, is that every tile has a word on it (defined by the half spheres and triangles). Clearly, you can't tell which word is which, and the fun trick is that you probably can't decipher what most of these words are. Even if you could, since you can put the tile upside down, or sideways, I'm sure you'll never remember which way is 'up'.

Now you may be wondering, "Err, why do you want words that your viewer can't read?" Good question. This project is based on the idea that these tiles are my words (and in extension, my language) - and that no matter how hard I try, you aren't going to be able to understand them.

You're going to interpret them the way you want - that's inevitable. To take things a step further, if you see the awesome orange pieces of plastic (reminiscent of lego), you'll notice that they can interlock/connect, so people have the ability to literally arrange and interpret my words and my art the way they want.

Added Note* In retrospect, this concept speaks of the duality between the fun of building and creating your own language, and the difficulties of having everyone interpret it in their own way.

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Sandcastings!

Here are some glass photos from the rest of my life!

This first piece is a solvable cryptogram (Hint: It's backwards!), the second piece is probably far too complicated to be solved.

Puzzle - The Beginning of the Language series

One And The Same 

You can check out what this language evolves into here!

Prototypes for the Language installation

It's all about your Outlook

Multiple Choice

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First Year's Projects

Home

These six pieces are sandcastings from a project about 'home'. The story went something to the extent of: I'm in between homes, and it's hard to get out of the old home, the comfort of the known, the habits you've created, the life you've become accustom to, etc.

So the three pieces in the background are little wire people I made that are stuck to, I suppose their old lives. The two that have two people sprouting out - it was supposed to be someone trying to run and someone giving up.

 The three pieces in front of those sandy wonders are school locks that I found and cast glass over top of. It just happened, by chance, that I ended up with three wire tests and three lock tests that I liked, and that related to each other. Each lock-wireperson combo corresponded to a piece of the journey. From being forlorn and wanting to give up, to owning up to the duality of wanting to struggle and give up at the same time, to finally willing and breaking free.

Anyway, I like my locks cast in glass, especially since so many a person warned me that the glass would break, but so far they've survived for a year. I just hope the day they do break, the shrapnel doesn't land anywhere unwelcome.

The Two Sides

Or something like that, no idea what the title was! Since I am a bum, you can't see the other side of this piece until I go take photos to add to this post. It was a project based around lamination, cold working and making a damn cube. I actually almost have a perfect cube, there's only one side that's off. 

Anyway, this piece is a favorite of mine. It's layered clear sheet glass and this stripey pink translucent glass. One half has a bunch of (intended to be) nice, clear shapes cut out, while the other has a messy cavern of shapes and holes that barely lead to the center. On the center piece I etched in all sorts of secrets, thoughts and important out looks. It's about duality, and despite the journey (whether it be complicated or easy), being the same (hopefully, proper and right).

Unfinished

Turning a failed glass blown piece into something aesthetically pleasing via engraving.

Lotus Bud

Why yes, another favorite. I think both this and Lady Pineapple took over ten hours of work each? Really it's just because I had no clue what I was doing. :) But they were totally worth it.

Lady Pineapple is simply another favorite that happened by accident. My first kilncasting.

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