Crafting Glass » fused glass

Using Some Basic Glass Tools

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:06:59 +0000

In the two videos just below this post a glass crafter and a glass artist demonstrate the use of some simple glass tools. The tools in the first video are some that most any person working in glass would have. Cutting thicker glass, like the plate glass in the video, requires a somewhat different technique than cutting the glass normally used in stained glass work and in fusing. The second video shows the use of a basic power tool (the glass grinder) that is so helpful in smoothing the edges of glass before handling it in stained glass or other work. Enjoy!

Jerry, webmaster CraftingGlass.com

Technorati Tags: cutting glass, glass artist, glass grinder, glass tools, stained glass

Bead Kiln Demo 2 (fusing dichroic glass earrings)

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 01:34:59 +0000

(My Note: Watch how the dichroic glass earrings are fused. Also, Did you know you could make your own fusing kiln? Interesting…) Jerry Webmaster, CraftingGlass.com

This is a sample clip of an instructional video for the building of a small glass fusing kiln. It can be used for the pre-heating of glass rods for beadmaking, and for annealing beads. Parts in 2005 cost $200 to build. Runs on 5 amps, 110 volts, so it just plugs in to a regular household socket. The video is intended for people with no kiln building experience, so is slow paced, thorough instruction with emphases on modifying the design to meet you own specific requirements. The full 2-dvd set also has demonstrations for the making of a complex bead, glass jewelry production, and the making of small mosaic dishes. Please see www.mayneislandglass.com for more info. Please look at my other sample clips from other videos, and my various tutorials on glassmaking.

Duration : 0:4:57

Technorati Tags: annealing, bead, build, dichroic, diy, earrings, fusing, Glass, kiln, making, own, your

New Category Added Today: Collectible Art Glass

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:43:59 +0000

Most of us love beautiful glass or we wouldn’t be here on a glass web site. Duh!. So in addition to learning how art or collectible glass is made (which we show elsewhere on this site) lets also learn about collecting this awesome stuff! I will be adding articles, pictures, and videos here soon on the subject of collectible art glass. For today I have this charming video about a tiny family run glass factory in Southern Ohio. Enjoy the Boyd’s Crystal Art Glass video (just below this post). They have made thousands of collectible glass figurines in dozens of colors. The video is longer that usual (about 7 minutes) but it is well worth watching the whole thing, IMHO.

Jerry (webmaster, CraftingGlass.com)

Technorati Tags: art glass, blown glass, Collectible art glass, decorative glass, glass artist, glass figurines, glass making

The First Artist To Appear In “The Artist Of the Month” is:

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:50:59 +0000

Guy Kemper, The Glass Artist of the Month says, “Glass is the best material in the world, there’s nothing better. I would take glass over any material, and there’s nothing more powerful.” Most regular viewers of CraftingGlass.com would agree as they love glass in all forms, as I do. Guy is a world recognized glass artist. He has works at the greater Orlando International Airport, St. Joseph’s chapel at Ground Zero in New York, the Baltimore Washington international Airport, and in our Lady In the Woods Chapel at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Some of the other acclaimed works of Guy Kemper are found in as diverse places as the Mount Baker train station in Seattle, the Dulles station office park in Herndon, Virginia, in Chicago O’Hare airport, and in the Public Cemetery Chapel, Engenhahn, Germany. Pictured just below are several of Guy’s lovely works mentioned previously.

Bellarmine Chapel

Ground Zero Window New York

Guy’s works are unique in several ways. He doesn’t use lead anymore in most of his creations so he doesn’t have to stay “inside the lines” as a typical stained glass artist would have to do. And Guy doesn’t normally use vitreous enamels which are special paints containing “frit” (powdered glass) in his works. Instead he uses multiple layers of flashed glass which is then often etched in designated areas to produce the desired effect. Since the color is actually glass instead of paint Guys work has all the richness and reflection of glass. As you know paint is duller than most colored glass. The individual glass creations are laminated or fused to a clear tempered glass base. This process eliminates the need to have a line of lead between the individual pieces as in most other stained glass works. Kemper’s works are awesome to view as many of them seem to move and change as the viewer moves about. This stunning effect is probably due to the interplay of light as it hits or passes through the different colored layers of the glass from different viewing angles.

Guy Kemper lives in central Kentucky and being from Kentucky has had a huge influence on his work. Guy says that many German artists settled in the river towns like Cincinnati, Louisville, Chicago, and St. Louis, after they immigrated to America 150 years ago. These glass artists make some of the finest American glass, probably the best stained glass, as that is the craft that most of them were trained in. Mr. Kemper says that Louisville especially has some of the best glass in the country. Guy lives in the Kentucky countryside near Lexington. He grew up in the city but he really loves the country. Guy says “I love Kentucky. I have traveled all over the world but I never would seriously consider living anywhere else”. In his art you can see the blues, greens, reds, and (picket fence) whites of the Blue Grass rural areas near Lexington where so many fine race horses are raised. (Article continued after two more pictures of Guy’s work).

Baker Train Station window, Seattle

Detail, Seattle window (“Seattle Sunrise”)

Much of Guy’s architectural work is too large to fabricate in his own shop so he has Derix Glasstudios in Germany make the glass from his drawings and paintings. Many consider Derix to be the best glass fabrication company in the world. After being commissioned to do the Orlando International Airport in 2000 he sought help as this was his largest work up to that time. He met Wilhelm Derix who offered some ideas and was very helpful. Apparently recognizing Guy’s artistic talent Wilhelm said “you really should just paint. Don’t even use your pencil; just start painting. And let me worry about how to make it”. Guy says that he took the advice, although not always 100% (as he still does some drawing and some glass work himself). It appears that they have worked together well over the years since then!

The window by Guy at Orlando International was unique in another way. It was a memorial to his late brother, Mark, who passed away shortly before he designed the window. Guy says that like flight, life has a transitory beauty uniquely its own. I believe that Guy wanted to celebrate the beauty of flight, and of life, in this lovely airport window. It is entitled So Long Bro. Many thousands of arriving and departing travelers are inspired by this work of glass art.

To see more of Guy’s work go to his web site at http://kemperstudio.com Be sure to watch the PBS documentary video featuring Guy Kemper’s work. It is about 8 minutes long but very impressive (well worth the short time spent watching it).

Important note: I receive no money or material benefit of any kind from featuring glass artists on my web site (CraftingGlass.com). My work here is purely “a labor of love” so to speak. I hope viewers (and artists) like this new feature of this site. If you are a glass artist of any kind, even if you are a relatively new artist, I would be glad to consider featuring you here. Just send pictures of some of your work and tell me a little about yourself. Jerry (Webmaster, Crafting Glass).

Another note: Here is a link to Derix Studios: http://www.derix.com/en/

Here is Guy’s Orlando International Airport Window:

Technorati Tags: art glass windows, artist of the month, decorative windows, stained glass

Short, But Good, Video on Glass Fusing (Making Pendants)

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:33:59 +0000

An example of a lovely glass pendant

Just below this post is a new video that I think is one of the better ones I’ve seen on making jewelry using fused glass. It illustrates the basic technique without any spam or excess advertising to get in the way of the lesson. If you are a “newbie” to the glass arts then please pay special attention to the mention of “coefficient of expansion” (COE). This is important because all glass used in your project must be the same COE, such as 96 COE. If you don’t follow this rule you will likely have breakage problems at unpredictible times.

To do fusing work you will, of course, need to have a kiln to heat and “fuse” the glass objects. And, two final notes of caution, be careful to avoid looking into the kiln without kiln glasses (special safety glasses) and wear heat resistant gloves and/or use tongs when handling anything going into or out of the kiln.

Now enjoy the video below from RioGrande.com

Jerry (webmaster Crafting Glass)

Technorati Tags: decorative glass, fused glass, glass pendants, jewelry

Painted Glass/Stained Glass Vase Better? How Does This Relate To Stained Glass Windows?

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:36:59 +0000

What Is the Difference Between Stained Glass And “Painted Glass” (Or Is There Any Real Difference)?

The glass vase looked beautiful, I thought. I was at a flea market vendors booth years ago just looking at glassware to buy for my wife. At the time I was a real novice in glass (speaking broadly about all categories of glass knowledge, such as collecting, art glass, and glass crafting). I didn’t buy the vase right away but vowed to come back later to buy it unless I found “something better”. In talking to a friendly vendor at another booth I found out that a buyer must be cautious because some glassware items have the color painted on with a chemical solution which is then fired to make it “permanent” on the glass. This process is called “staining” the glass. I later found that some collectors, and even some dealers, call this technique “flashing” although that is not really the correct name. Whatever name it is called, the problem with glassware made by this technique is that the thin chemical coating (or “paint”) can wear off in time with a lot of handling and washing. Needless to say, I did not buy the vase that the first dealer had for sale! So keep in mind that when talking about collectible glass pieces, such as a vase, the techniques of Flashing, Casing, and Plating are separate layers of glass applied to the piece and that Stain is a painted on coating.

Now we will talk about Stained Glass Windows. They are a different animal from the collectible glass mentioned above! Stained glass windows have a history over a thousand years old! From what I can learn of the early times it appears that most of the medieval windows were made by painting a special mixture containing tiny glass particles (frit) over the desired piece of glass and then firing the glass and “paint” in a kiln to fix the painted design on to the glass piece. Most, but not all, modern stained glass windows are made with a different method. This later technique involves cutting a clear or colored glass to fit in a part of a pattern drawn on tracing paper or similar material. The glass piece is normally not painted. It is used “as is”. Its shape and color make it part of the design. The glass piece is then held in place in the window by lead or copper foil and solder. For a little more information look at my glossary terms below. The glossary for Crafting Glass may be found on the upper left side of this web page. Thanks for visiting, Jerry (webmaster, craftingglass.com)

STAINED GLASS – Commonly used to describe any colored flat glass or any object made of such glass joined by metal strips. The term originally applied to colored or clear flat glass cut to fit an artist’s design, on which details were painted in pigment with a brush. The glass pieces were then heated in a kiln or oven to bond the pigment to the glass surface. This firing makes the painted detail as durable and permanent as the glass itself. Most religious windows from medieval times until this century were executed in this manner, and so the term came to be used first for any architectural application, and then for any design in colored flat glass. It is now universally accepted as a convenient general term to define the art, the craft, and the industry

PAINTED GLASS – Glass on which special paints (containing frit) have been applied in illustration or decorative pattern and then heated in a kiln to a temperature high enough to fuse the pigments permanently to the glass surface. The modern version of the original medieval “stained glass.”

Technorati Tags: art glass, collectible glass, flashed glass, glass stain, stained glass

A rainbow (like) glass Staircase!

admin — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 06:00:59 +0000

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)

Technorati Tags: art glass, decorative glass, fused glass, glass atairway, rolled glass, unique glass work

What is Fused Glass?

admin — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 06:00:59 +0000

I have recently added a new category (Fused Glass) to CraftingGlass.com

Some visitors are wondering just what fused glass is and how it is made. Fused glass (much different from blown glass) is glass that has been heat processed (fired) in a kiln at a high temperatures. There are 3 ranges of temperatures used in the fusing process that give different results in the finished glass object. These temperatures are: #1 (low range) 1100 to 1250 degrees F. Firing in this range of temperatures results in “slumping” of the glass. It sort of drapes over the mold. #2 (1250º-1350ºF) This is called the middle range. These temps result in what is called “tack fusing” of the glass. Finally; #3 (1350º-1500ºF), the highest range used in fusing, is called a “full fuse.”

Fused glass techniques are often used to create glass tiles or jewelry. However, the slumping process also allows the creation of larger pieces like plates, bowls and dishes. Doing this usually requires a second or third firing to fuse and shape the glass art pieces. Producing functional pieces generally requires 2 or more separate firings; one to fuse the glass and a second or more to shape it. For more information on fused glass please see: http://fusedglass.org

One practical advantage of fused glass is that it can be produced by a relative newcomer to glassworking. There is no need to melt or blow the glass and thus no need for complicated, expensive equipment. A fusing kiln can be set up in a garage or basement by any responsible, careful adult who follows the kiln set-up directions. After much study and practice the results can be impressive (see the pictures of fused glass objects )

“Purple Moons” and “Water dance” By Rhoda Baer

rhodabaerglass.com

Fused Glass Tapestry Cup by Paul Tarlow http://www.fusedglass.org

Aurhor: Jerry (CraftingGlass.com)

Technorati Tags: art glass, crafting glass, fused glass, glass fusing, glassworking.working glass

About The Three New Glass Art Videos AND The Artist Of the Month

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:35:59 +0000

Hi Everyone;

I’ve added three new videos just below this post. They are all good but I especially love the the Glass Blowing at the Henry Ford Museum one! And don’ forget to view the “Glass Artist Of the Month” article just below the videos if you haven’t seen it yet. It features Guy Kemper, a world famous artist from Kentucky.

Enjoy,

Jerry (webmaster CraftingGlass.com)

Crafters: Learn to make your own decorated and lighted Christmas glass blocks! Very beautiful and unique (See pictures and “click here” link below).

http://94c21btjwpx-yfrx-5zal9ymbn.hop.clickbank.net/ Click Here

Technorati Tags: art glass, decorative glass, glass blowing, glass vase, stained glass

Beautiful Images Of Window Glass Art (From My Recent Contest)

admin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:20:59 +0000

Although I did not get the required ten pictures to start the contest (sadly) I did get the great pictures below (not in any particular order). I’m sharing them with you today. The first window picture is in St Josephs Chapel at ground zero in New York. The artist is Guy Kemper (www.kemperstudio.com). Second picture is a private residence window done by Karen Tarlow submitted by her husband Paul Tarlow(www.heliosglass.com). The last lovely picture is of a window in a sanctuary door in the Congregation Bethaynu in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Image courtesy of Lynn Katz Danzig (no web site given). Three different types of glass work, three different styles, yet all are stunning, IMHO. My thanks to you all.

Now please view these three beautiful glass window pictures just below. Jerry (webmaster, Crafting Glass)

Entry #1

Entry #2

Entry #3

Technorati Tags: art glass, etched glass, fused glass, most beautiful glass window, painted glass, stained glass