Koyaanisqatsi-esque

At the end of a blustery February afternoon I was strolling through Expert Village and came across this encapsulation of creation by Chris Thompson. To me, it was reminiscent of the film Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio. The soundtrack to this video wasn't by Philip Glass (now that would have been a happy coincidence), nor did the video give the sense of a 'life out of balance', which is what Koyaanisqatsi means in the Hopi language. Okay, so it seems it had very little in common with the movie, aside from time-lapse photography and atmospheric music. However, for a cursory view of the process of producing a stained glass panel, it not only illustrates the steps involved, but it takes you into the creative process, kinda like Eisenstein, ya know?

Sailboat Stained Glass Panel

Barb approached me for a panel to capture the time she and Ken and their kids spent on their sailboat. It was to be a Christmas present for Ken with a companion piece representing their life in Huron Woods to be a birthday present for him in February.

After trawling through images of sailboats on the net, I designed the piece using Glass Eye 2000, which easily allowed me to tweak the size and placement of the boat within the panel.

The folks at Sunrise Glass were, as usual, very knowledgeable and patient in helping me choose the glass and figuring out the amounts I would need.

I had Glen Baillie make the frames for both panels before I began, to minimize the chance I would finish the piece and find it didn't fit the frame, the external dimensions of which needed to be 53 centimetres.

The pieces are foiled with 7/32 black-backed foil, and I added a black patina to the solder to contrast with the bright, light colours of the glass.

Glass-on-Glass Mosaic

Attention span of a ... what was I saying?

I've been wanting to try this technique for a while, because I thought it would suit my enjoyment of creating quickly and spontaneously. And sho' 'nuf, it was a much more organic artistic process with the choice and addition of each piece influencing what happened next.

On top of this, it allows you to use up the small scraps we packrats are so loathe to discard.

I felt inclined towards macro flower images so surfed these for a while. Then I rifled through my various containers of shards and bits to come up with a colour and texture palette that talked 'perty' to me and to the image.

I glued the pieces onto a sheet of clear glass, (much teenier fingers than mine would have been handy at this stage!) and after the glue dried I grouted and framed.

Voilà!

Forest Panels

There are some great people in Huron Woods. In fact, the community is one of the most caring and supportive I've come across.

My neighbours, Gord and Josy Britton, asked me if I'd make them some panels for their entranceway. What a privilege, as Josy is a talented and well-known artist whose work I really love.

Drawing from the themes in Josy's work and our surroundings here in the woods, using tones that were vibrant and would fit with their interior environment, I designed a forest and lake scene. Gord and Josy asked if I could incorporate the nine-pointed star from the Baha'i faith, which appears in the upper left corner.

Yin and Yang in Nature

I made this for a Taichi group with an interest in things natural. It's copper foiled with a lead u-came frame and set in a wrought-iron stand.

front page news

Giddy as a schoolgirl, I, when my first treasury made the front page of Etsy...some fun and funky items from my list of favourites.

the eating of the green

On St Paddy's Day, retro-kitsch cuisine warms the cockles and replenishes your supply of FD&C yellow 5 and FD&C blue 1.
Sure, the popcorn looks a little like something you'd discover in the bottom of your fridge about 3 months later than you might have liked, but it brings out the kid in you. Sticking out your tongue is loads more fun when it's green.

...and I'll call Rusty...

I used a combination of leading and foiling in this window I installed beside my front door. This way I can greet guests even when I'm not home. And the message to would-be burglars is an unambiguous (well, maybe not so ambiguous...), 'Stop! Grrrr.' In fact, wonder if that's how most people read it when they arrive, and that's why I have so few visitors. Hmmm.

The pieces in my head (yes, I rattle when I dance) were foiled to maximise the glass surface area, while the rest is lead camed for that great supple strength it provides. It's the same height as I am and I'm not saying whether it's any narrower. The glass is largely translucent to allow light into the foyer and so I can peek out to keep an eye on the neighbours. Oh, they're a rascally lot.

I sent a photo to the Delphi online gallery today. You can check out other cool pieces people have made there...well, they didn't actually make them there, but you can look there to see pieces they've made elsewhere. You know what I mean.

exACTly how I do it

the glass necklace

hit me again with your funny stick, mister

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
by Jonathan Safran Foer

Sure, there’s a fine line between quirky and affected. Plunk. That’s the sound of JSF’s writing falling on the side of quirky.

Gimmicky and derivative? Aw, there ain’t nuthin’ new under the sun anyways, so why not plate up some delectable favourites? And besides, who doesn’t want to share the cohesive ramblings of a clever and quick mind? Tell me there’s a more gratifying experience than immersing yourself in a heady balance of wit, pith and hilarity.

What? What’s that you say? Michiko and Harry don’t agree? As far as I can figure, Michiko just doesn’t get it, and Harry’s got a pickle up his artistic sensibilities.

Maybe JSF is laughing all the way to the bank, but I’m trundling along beside him pulling a 20 out of my pocket saying, “Hit me again with your funny stick, mister.”

a petri dish on acid

Glass is a liquid, and so says the art of Dale Chihuly. His work is fluid and organic, vibrant and alive. He visited the Chelsea Flower Show the year they held it on Mars.

I took this photo, which doesn't begin to capture the depth, breadth or detail of this piece (though it makes an excellent screensaver) at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Fiori di Como is composed of over 2,000 hand-blown glass flowers and covers 2,000 sq ft (190 m²) of the lobby ceiling.

Check out this amazing glass sculptor at his website or on wikipedia.

weekend at the compooper

... part of which will be attempting to make this blog into something other than a one-post ghost town.

So here's a ticket to my flickr site: my photos

Next on the agenda - designing a plug. Don't know what that is? Find out all about them here: Etsy thread on plugs

gotta start somewhere

Well, there's loads on my to-do list so the obvious course of action is procrastination. Starting a blog seems like an amusing way to avoid more important activities. I've already managed to make and put up the posters for the HWCA Christmas dos and deliver the jewellery I made since the openhouse last Wednesday to the ladies who ordered it. One more to go, along with a few Christmas decorations and candle sconces.

It's the perfect fall day - bright and sparkly with a definite bite to the air. Spose I should find out what this is going to look like, my first post!