Archive for March, 2009
It is beautiful, whatever it is!
(Learn more here)
Have you noticed the lovely color reflecting from a quality camera lens as you turn it from side to side? How about the beautiful shimmering look of an expensive opal? Both of these impressive effects are similar to what you see when viewing a piece of dichroic jewelry or glass art. Dichroic glass was originally developed by NASA for an, as yet, untold use. Remember the awesome reflected colors and moonscape scenes from the astronaut’s face shields? To me those “reflections” have a look similar to some dichroic glass pieces even though there is no such glass in the shields. To create dichroic glass multiple thin layers of metal or metal oxides are electronically applied to glass in a vacuum chamber. There may be as many as 30 or 40 layers of coating applied to a single piece of glass for the desired result. Yet all of these layers together are only about 1/45th the thickness of a piece of computer printer paper! Dichroic glass is now available for use by artists from dichroic coating manufacturers. Recently dichroic glass art is becoming highly popular because of its near gem-like appearance and the fact that no two pieces, even those make by the same artist, are ever totally alike. You can, for instance, have a “one of a kind” set of dichroic earrings for a quite reasonable price compared to almost any other one of a kind item (compared, say, to a designer dress).
Artists who craft glass love dichroic because they can create different looks by using more or fewer dichroic glass pieces added to the base glass. Also, the layers can be selectively removed in places, down to the base glass, by a laser or other tool. This removal of dichroic layers only in areas chosen by the artist creates images of great variety. Pictures of faces, animals, or abstract art can be achieved by careful use of this technique by the glass artist. Dichroic glass is usually added in layers to a piece of glass (plain or colored) called the base glass. The method used is called “hotworking” or glass fusing (see my fused glass category). A dichroic glass piece can be used in art directly, without fusing, but isn’t often used that way because of cost and other factors. To see the awesome beauty of dichroic glass art please view the pictures below. Remember that the dichroic art pieces are more striking in person than the pictures because as you turn the dichroic art in your hand the colors change in dramatic ways. For more information about dichroic glass (often called “dicro” please see the following site(s)
Artist Linda Abbott at: http://www.dichroicglass.net/index.asp
Thanks for looking! Jerry (webmaster Crafting Glass)
First two pictures courtesy of Linda Abbott http://www.dichroicglass.net/
Opal-like Dichroic
Turquoise Dichroic
Photographer Zygzee Artist Milton Jacobson (from: http://everystockphoto.com/photo.php?imageId=3375443)
Dichroic Pendant or Earring
Mar
13
Today I have posted (just below this post) a video showing some of the inspiring work of glass artist Guy Kemper. Guy says that he started out in stained glass but now his work is hard to catagorize. He now sometimes calls himself an artist in “blown glass paintings”…..whatever you call it, his work is awesome! One sample picture is right here in this post. Now please watch the video in the next post. It is a little longer (about 8 minutes) than the usual short vids I post here but it is worth your time, believe me.
Jerry (webmaster, Crafting Glass)
Guy’s web site:
Special from Kentucky Educational Television (PBS) on local stained glass artist Guy Kemper.
Duration : 0:8:33
I believe this is the most awesome, unique use of glass I’ve ever seen. This work is by the artist Walter Gordinier with glass materials mostly (all?) from the great glass company Uroboros.
Please look here (below) to be inspired!
http://www.uroboros.com/images/artist_gallery/Walter_Gordanier/full_images/image1.jpg
Thanks for visiting my web site!
Jerry (webmaster, Crafting Glass)
Just want some tips on how to use the sheeting and mica that can be added to the glass bead.
Normally you use a slab of graphite as a marver. You set it where no breeze will cross it, perhaps surrounding it on three sides with part of a cardboard box. The gold leaf and gold and silver foil are very thin, so they are normally handled by leaving them on the paper and cutting the paper, then moving them off with a natural hair brush used only for that purpose.
You sprinkle mica on the surface.
You heat the surface of the bead to a very soft state and roll the bead in the leaf/foil/mica to pick up pieces. Normally you immediately begin to case the additions with clear, winding clear rod around the bead and smoothing it down on a clean part of the marver.
If you don't have a graphite marver, most glass beadmaking suppliers sell them, some of which mount on the torch, which is not a good place to pick up leaf/foil.
Im making a hemp necklace and looking for some nice blown glass beads, but I have already looked around and I cannot find any. Yeah so where can i get some?
As for the blown glass beads i know an online store. They have several kinds of pandora glass beads which is fashionable this season,
in the case you need this beads here is the URL.
http://www.8season-supplies.com/pandora-jewelry-glass-beads-c-131_118.html
I was wondering if anyone knew how to make glass beads, you know with the rods and torch? What materials should I buy and where can I find them? And where can I find instructions on what to do? Website?
-Thanks
here are the steps in making lampwork beads:
http://www.beadworx.com/HowToMakeABead1.html
Nothing to do with glass today. We need a break…and, it’s St Paddy’s day! We just made Irish soda bread using a recipe used in Ireland nearly 150 years ago. Serve it warm, with lots of butter. Yumm! Instead of butter we use Smart Balance spread (tastes as good as butter or better and no trans fats). This is very simple to make. There are no caraway seeds or raisins added to this (don’t need ‘em). Here’s the recipe (below).
INGREDIENTS For Traditional Irish Soda Bread
4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup bread flour
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly grease two baking sheets.
- In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, white flour, rolled oats, baking soda and salt. Gently mix in the buttermilk until a soft dough is formed. Knead very lightly. Divide dough into 4 pieces; form into rounded flat loaves. Mark each loaf with an ‘X’ and place on prepared baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 to 45 minutes
Enjoy! Jerry (webmaster, Crafting Glass)
Do you know any stained glass patterns of birds that are less then 50 peices to do?
you could try various search engines, adding “free” or “free download”.
if you are not satisfied, choose any picture that you do like & convert it into a stained glass image yourself by dividing it as you like [you can get a lot of ideas from the web images too].
in fact, if a picture contains more than 50 pieces, try to merge some together to get larger blocks.
if the picture contains too few pieces, just add a few more artistically.
look in embroidery pattern books, etc. too – you may find something you like & can convert easily.
hope this helps
all the very best.
I am doing stained glass as mosaic. I have some glass but cannot afford to buy big sheets. And I am looking for patterns.
Search google. There are TONS of websites devoted to stained glass. Try your local library as well (everyone forgets about these wonderful resources now with the internet) there are many good books on stained glass that teach it well.