Experimenting with what I have....

 Because I cannot really totally sustainably make a piece of glass art, I am going to head down the route of making a piece that will raise awareness.   I am also only going to use things that I already have. I am determined not to purchase anything extra but work around design issues to find a solution.

I have decided to make a clock - to show that time is ticking away for the planet and that we, as consumers, need to act now to help keep it safe.

The clock will be made out of the mini wine bottles, I have a clock part in my box of oddments that I can use.... the design will come to me as I put it together.  I have a rough idea of a design, but sometimes when working with glass - especially recycled glass, you have to roll with the punches and change the design at the drop of a hat.

I thought I might like to put some numbers on the clock, so while the kiln was on and melting the wine bottles flat, I added some little pieces of broken bottle to the corner with different things added to try and see if I could make marks.

The results weren't as pleasing as I had hoped, The Reichenbach green wasn't too bad but I would have  need a good thick layer before it looked decent, and the thicker I had it the more chance there would be of it cracking as the two glass types weren't compatible.

The mica powder just brushed right off, off the top fired piece and the piece with it underneath, which I found surprising.

The silver luster was very disappointing, I expected it to turn a nice dark metallic silver and it did ... nothing!

So that left the copper sheet piece. Now I know that copper sheet works well when sandwiched between two layers of glass, but didn't actually think it would adhere when just placed underneath - so this was a pleasant surprise.

Hopefully, I have found the way now to add numbers to my clock.  Happy days!

Metamorphosis project planning.

 One of my assignments for the Foundation Module 020 'Foundation to Creative Practise' is to do a project based on Metamorphosis.

We have to use a set of words that are opposite each other, then go from one word as a starting point to the other as a finishing point, showing a difference along the way.

Working in our chosen pathways  (mine is glass) we have to come up with an idea and a finished project of how we can do this.

So, as an initial thought, I decided I might do a set of 5 glass vessels - flat plate to vase, with bowls in-between.

I started with a sketch - it doesn't look much like what is in my head, but I am really not very good at drawing.

I also thought I might work on two sets of words at the same time.

Transparent to Opaque

And Bud To Bloom

The Transparent to Opaque would run from the flat plate through to the bud vase, while the Bud to bloom would work in the opposite direction.

It's quite a simple idea, but hopefully it will fit the brief.

And now I need to go and find my kiln under all of the rubbish in my Glass Workshop  :)

Wish me luck?!