Friday, May 28, 2010

Salute! Cheers!


This week has kinda sucked, I have had an uber stiff neck since Sunday, which in turn brings this dull throbbing headache, I know its from the posture I have to sit at, at the glass center. Im going to have to buy my own chair for that place. Last night I took a shot of Nyquil, thinking it would relieve the ache and I could sleep, bad idea. don't do that for a pain in the neck, ha.. I did sleep fine, and was feeling no pain until I woke up and realized I had slept with my neck kinked all night. Back to square one.
So much down time, My head is swimming with Ideas...

Last weekend during class a former student Yvette came in to play at the torches, she is a doll and so much fun, anddddddd got me to thinking further about new glass artists! Ok so she comes in with a bunch of broken wine bottle glass and shows me what shes been experimenting with, shes been fusing chunks then wiring them into pendants etc. We brain storm and talk, and I show her how to punty up to the chunk and be able to use them to wind on to mandrels to make beads.
I have been collecting bottles in order to fill the mondo big kiln at the center up and make a bunch of the slumped cheese trays. ( also learned I loveeeeeee Pinot Noir, in the process).
So in one of my mini torch sessions this week I smashed up a bottle pulled some stringers out of it etc, and made some beads pandora sized, then cored them with reclaimed copper tubing. Keeping with the recycle theme. I love how they turned out, and If they dont sell I will be happy to wear them.

Which now brings me to two topics, doh!!!
1. Yvette a student that has only taken a two day beginner class, came in and Inspired me!
2. Pigeon holed by buyers in a style of bead making?
Im just going to talk about number 1 today but we will get to number 2 this weekend.
I do talk about in my classes about developing a personal style, especially to those that show interest in doing this as an income.
I am a firm believer in NOT to listening to people about what you can and cannot do with glass art.
I was very much self taught in this medium, and over the years reading the forums etc, if I had done this prior to starting I would have not tried a lot of the things I have and quite frankly might have not been as successful or given up entirely. I feel, and this is just a personal feeling , I know a lot of teachers /veterans don't feel the same way, but I do think we can be afraid of competition. From reading and watching I really get the feeling sometimes that veterans try and discourage new people into this medium. I am not trying to offend anyone!
After writing a few tutorials of some of my "signature beads", and teaching a few years, I have embraced the competition, I'm learning so much from it, learning to stretch, to develop new designs.( this took time to learn and let go)
I could ramble on n on even more, but in the end, Fresh ideas and new eyes are so much fun to be around, and they do make us keep learning, grasping and reaching for bigger and better.
I may have stared at those glass bottles for two years before I actually did something with them.
I do nottttt for one second believe there are only so may techniques, styles and design ideas in this medium. I refuse to think that it is anything but infinite in what we can do as artists.

Glass is Magic!


2 comments:

  1. Hi Laurie, thanks for the great idea of punti-ing up bottle glass!! I've been struggling with grips and pliers and your idea makes so much more sense! :oD

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