Glass sculpture

I have finally resolved how to finish the wire strands of my pieces. I think the idea not only makes the work complete, but leads on the the next level of choosing what to put on the ends.

This piece is from a white standard lightshade from a demolished house and the drops are from an old chandelier. The loveliest surprise is that the drops capture the image of the honeycomb pattern of the wire frame.

This piece is from a little blue plate Liz gave me, the drops are crystals from a chandelier again. So the reflect the colour.

Green glass plates, go in transparent, and come out this lovely opaque emerald, these pieces are so fragile as the glass between the wire is incredibly thin, so it doesn’t stay unbroken for me. I think the only way would be to place the piece in a glass container straight out of the kiln and handle carefully. I am trying to find how to stop the glass from continuing to flow, after I turned it off when I reach right shape. I think I will have to be strong and crash cool until about 600 degrees or less.

Blue vase recycled sculpture

I have been getting rather frustrated with the development of the latest series of sculpture, as I realised that I cannot do much to develop the shape, The last large piece I made was from a large blue presentation platter I found at the Don Bosco op shop in Sydney road. After I fired it over the woven wire frame I found that the sandblasted writing for the prize was still visible. I feel a bit funny about this as I hope that S  would not mind her prize being transformed  like this. I wonder did S discard it or did her family when she moved into a smaller place, its kinda sad. I tried to cut the wire back to the edges of the glass but the glass is to fragile or I’m to clumsy, the glass edges chipped, so I think the less intervention the better, I will have to decided before the piece is for how long the wire will, I am going to coil the wire underneath the piece so it is hidden I think. I like the wire but Liz says when the wire is missing, it make you wonder how the piece was made intriguing. I still like the larger piece thoughThis little piece was made from a round blue vase I found in the Salvo in Smith st Collingwood that I went to with Maria. I cut it in half, and this is the top half of the vase with the lip stretching to form the delicate stem. I tipped the frame in the kiln hoping with would created a tilted shape, however the glass ran downwards over the frame without coating the edges which is surprising. It makes her look that she’s half undressed. I will polish the frame with the dremel to show the beautiful pink that copper wire goes when heated in the kiln.

With the bottom half of the vase I tried something different I love the stem, how it drops through the larger hole and supports the frame, so I looked at multiplying my favorite feature, this one I wove the frame with larger holes, to see what wold happen, I love it and can’t wait to do another larger one tomorrow

The blue of the original glass is fainter as the glass stretches through the frame, because it isn’t as delicate I think the whole piece should be bigger. I will be spending the next 24 hours thinking of how I can join circles of wire within a circular border     mmmm

Recycled glass sculpture

I finally got it together to make some more of my sculptural work at last, I have a show in December this year to prepare for. I have been working with copper wire weaving it into a lattice to melt the glass through. I want to make the sculpture less fragile than the pieces I have been making as they are so hard to transport and so fragile some of them only have a short life around me.

These pieces I have made were inspired by watching an orb spider weave her web by torchlight. This was entrancing to watch, and I went home and wove my own web like creation out of copper wire. The green glass is from some lovely glass plates my sister found at the Ocean Grove op shop.

The hole in the middle of the web allows the piece to be beautifully stable. These two pieces are quite small about 15cm across and 10 cm high, the woven wire much more organic than the wire netting that I have been using. I have made a larger green one but I haven’t got a good picture yet.

 

 

 

 

 

Then I was lying around thinking about the frame and made this piece, that is using wire netting given to me by Liz Walker, I cut the centre out of the wire netting, so the glass piece would be free standing. I used a glass plate with pink and green irridescent motifs, which has come out brilliantly crystal clear. I now wish I have saved it for something more developed, but thats always the way.

I have curled the wire under the piece. The wire left is something I have to resolve, as if I cut it off,  I take the chance of breaking the glass edges, which detracts from the piece. I like leaving the wire long, as this make the wire and the glass all one piece. I am going to try heating the ends into a bead next hoping the heat

 

of the flame doesn’t travel to hot and crack the glass with heat shock. I am going to weave a new piece today, as I found the most beautiful blue plate to use, its a bit nerve wracking hoping that it will work as I can never find the original glass piece again unless I’m lucky enough to find a set of glass plates. It’s so cold at the moment its really hard to get motivated to work in the studio, instead I fight the cats for room in front of the heater. I know I’m bigger than them, but they give you such a hurt look if you push them out of the way.