Easels

Pictured here is my beloved easel. Its pretty old and needs a little tender loving care, but its a great easel and has sentimental value for me. Even though I haven't used it in a few years, I can't bring myself to give it away. So I think I will weather-coat it and keep it outside. Damn thing is big and awkward. Hard to get through doorways and takes up a lot of space in a room. I have moved with it many times over the years and curse its awkwardness, but hey, my Dad made it, and I am an artist, so what can I do but consider myself lucky.

Years ago when I was in highschool and my brother had gone away to college, our Dad, woodworker extraordinaire, took up the challenge of making a good easel. You see, my brother had decided to minor in fine arts in college and so I think my dad was making this gift, you know, to support his son's choices an' all!

My Dad is an engineer, so he had to make up some plans and try out some ideas with a prototype. As I was the little sister still living at home, I got to test out the prototype! I was taking a lot of art classes at the time at the CIA, so this was a great opportunity! In the end, for some reason my Dad never made the finished easel, this one was the beginning and the end of his efforts in easel making. So I was pretty pleased to keep it for myself!

So that is the story. Love you Dad :) still have the easel and its still wonderful. Thanx.

Pictures from the Glass School

its a slideshow - press play

Aquila Glass School

1628 N Columbia Blvd, Unit A - Portland, OR 97217

This is where I teach torchworking classes - look how much fun people are having! I love this place.

Melting Scrap Glass into Art

Meet my new kiln tool - its called a screen melt system. Basically you melt glass thru the screen and it puddles in the form below. My new friend Steve made this for me, its awesome and I have been having fun experimenting with it.
The idea is simple: melt glass thru the screen and the right balance of clear and color will create chaotic patterns in the finished puddle of glass. I have hundreds of pounds of scrap glass accumulating and this screen melt system could be a way of transforming it into beautiful art.

Here's what I've been doing in my kiln experiments...

- first I weigh out the glass so that the scrap used will equal the volume I want in the finished puddle (I have been using about 800grams to make a 9"plate)

- then I transfer this scrap onto the screen in the kiln (I have prepped the screen by laying fiber blanket against the steel of the form that the glass melts into and along the kiln shelf (so that final puddle will not stick to anything)

- then I melt the glass, using a program that cooks the glass at 1600degrees Fahrenheit

- once its cold and cleaned off the scrap has transformed into a puddle!

Here are my first three melts, I think they are beautiful.

I have been learning a lot along the way. These experiments will probably turn into bowls in my kitchen.

Speed Dating for Artists Round II: Visual Artists and Galleries

Last night was the second IHeartArt:Portland Mixer event. I would say I was there as a volunteer, but I didn't really do much work. :) I was there as an IHeartArt representative, to enjoy the atmosphere and network with everyone.
This event is really incredible: a free opportunity for established gallery curators to interview artists - a free opportunity for these artists to introduce themselves to the curators.
Its a "speed dating" event - replace single people looking for a hot date with artists looking for exposure.
I felt this nurturing energy around the crowd; everyone wanting to encourage each other and network with one-another. The picture above is a couple of the artists waiting to get interviewed and talking with each other about their portfolios.
There was a seminar recently (also organized by IHeartArt) on how artists should approach galleries and shops. Attending artists learned about what a curator might be looking for in a presentation, and then for this event there was a set of requirements for what the artists should bring with them. It was a well organized and smooth running event. Over 40 artists interviewed with 16 curators.
The artists seemed exhausted but exhilarated by the end of the event, and had many possible avenues to follow up with. And all the curators I spoke with afterwards were very enthusiastic about wanting to work with the artists they had met.
All the curators seemed to have a common sentiment that it was outstanding to meet so many artists they had never heard of. And they each had a handful of names that stuck out of artists that really made a great first impression.
Speed dating for artists - Portland Oregon style!
I really adore this concept and I appreciate all the hard work and care that goes into these events. IHeartArt is all about advocating for artists, educating the local community and providing the networking opportunities that make our passions grow into lucrative adventures.

Thanks IHeartArt for another great event!

If you want to read about my experience at last years IHeartArt Mixer:

• http://leahglass.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-heart-art-mixer-recap.html

Watch a video about the IHeartArt Mixer:

• http://leahglass.blogspot.com/2010/10/sweet-video-about-iheartart-event.html

Find out more about IHeartArt:

• http://iheartartpdx.com/

A Little Video

Stress Management: How To?

There is always stress to manage in life, like stacking stones. Stress and then more stress, and more stress on top of that. I love my life and thoroughly enjoy my business and my work - but I am no exception - life is stressful.

My #1 stress management technique is to eliminate all possible sources of stress, but really this has proven to be an inadequate plan of attack. Seriously. Cuz it is not possible.

Stress must be invited into my life occasionally in order to keep taking on new challenges... this year I applied to a host of big shows for my artwork, hoping for the best for my little business.

I was rejected (or wait-listed) from every show I applied to. When last year I was accepted to anything I tried! The plan was to build on my success and added confidence from 2010 and bring my glass artwork to even more shows in 2011. Evidently this is not going to happen. I am trying to roll with the punches, and I feel beaten. C'est la vie. I am busy with many other projects and plans, but its depressing none-the-less.

Heres my personal take on stress. I need to learn better techniques to learn to manage it. Anxiety and panic are unwelcome attendees in my personal and business life. Seems awkwardly overly personal to share like this on my blog - but hey - its honest, and its me. Lately I feel depressed and this is why. Rejection. Blah. Stress. Yuck.

my Personal Top 5 Sources of Stress:

1. success/failure
2. rejection
3. money
4. time management
5. general shenanigans

My Top 5 Stress Relief Techniques:

1. sex
2. yoga and/or meditaion
3. making artwork, getting crafty
4. hanging out with friends
5. exercise

Looking at stressful things from another perspective can help sometimes too... its a guarantee that there are many ways I could be far more stressed than I already am, and I am thankful for the advantages of my little life, but this gratitude does not alleviate my stress. Depression is a very self-absorbed state of mind.

How do you manage your stress? As an artist, as a human, as a significant other, a friend, a business-owner... how do we do it! What causes us all this stress and how do we make that misery manageable... how do you do it? I want to learn more.

For Sale on Etsy

I finally listed some of my glass globes with plants on Etsy - get em' while they are there! I will get them to you by Christmas if you act fast.

These little beauties will ship well, they all are USPS friendly and ready to go. Although I am not shipping them over any international boarders, my apologies, yes I know they are sooo super cute and you'd love to get one as a gift for your friend or loved one, and yes I LOVE shipping my artwork to Canada and overseas... however, I just don't know what the rules are for shipping plant life internationally and so I am not going to go there. Domestic shipping only.

FREE SHIPPING to all US customers for these little wonders (there are only 5 listed in my shop right now, so its a limited offer!)

Awesome Find at Crafty Wonderland 2010

At Crafty Wonderland this weekend I did a bit o' shopping and I found these illustrations by Lisa Mirella, described as a trio of animals with dirty mouths having trouble with yarn. What is not to love!!!

Anyone who has spent a bit of time with me knows that I have an uncensored potty mouth.

These illustrations are printed on canvas and stretched, so they each look like little originals. The octopus needing a 9th arm to untangle his mittens, the fat bear in his unraveling sweater (aptly named "Shitty Yarn") and the giraffe who lost his scarf... all can be found in the Milktooth Etsy shop, there are both the prints and greeting cards, it looks like they sold out of the Fuck print right now, but if you send them a message maybe they will make you more!

http://Milktoof.etsy.com

Pictures from Urban Craft Uprising 2010

Urban Craft Uprising Holiday 2010 - nearly 10,000 shoppers came thru the doors of the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. It was awesome. There was so much crafty goodness it was nearly overwhelming. The shopping frenzy was buzzing as usual. A lot of my artwork (as well as all the other vendors at this show!) will be given away as presents this holiday due to the success of this show.

I would like to say big Thank You to everyone involved, shoppers and organizers!

This is the line on Sunday morning of shoppers waiting for almost 2 hours to get free swag as they entered the show.

This is Moxie's booth - she is one of the wonderful women who throw this show. Her felted creations and new book I Felt Awesome are amazing! Monsters and octopuses and mushrooms and balls and bowling pins and felting kits that come in milk shake containers.... oh how I swoon...

These felted terrariums were just scrumptious! Amanda Fiebing creates these incredible little fiber creations - look at the felted mushroom terrariums! They are just too cute!!!

I loved this sock monkey booth - so bright and colorful...

meant to buy one of these kits from Monkey Sock Monkey... but I had trouble getting out of my booth (cuz it was so busy!! yeah!) and when I took these pictures there was no one around to take my money (it was in the morning before the show started)... the kit is great, comes with everything you need, and they have an orange kit. What more could I ask for!

Beautifully handcrafted dolls with handmade clothes and accessories, and more handmade mushrooms

Bird Mafia

Bread and Badger

and this little video shows my booth... this was in the morning on Saturday before we opened... you can hear Moxie announcing for the volunteers to gather and get ready to open the doors! What a fun and exhausting weekend.

Holiday Craft Show Prep

I am knee deep in holiday prep - working my way thru holiday craft shows. Prep involves many things, like stamping bags....I tried to take a few pictures today so I could share here...
I've been making more terrariums... these pictures are fun because people keep asking me how I make the tiny little arrangements - look see! - I use my old dissection kit!
The q-tips are for cleaning the glass if I get a bunch of dirt stuck to the inside of the terrariums...
I also made a bunch more "care cards" and stickers... more packaging details... the care cards are for the terrariums to tell people how to care for them...

I've been strategizing on how to fit a lot of stuff into a small vending space... this weekend I am working with 5ft by 10ft. Last weekend it was 6ft by 4ft. So I made up this piece of graph paper and cut little pieces of paper to represent my display stuff... put a little sticky glue on the back of the cutouts and this way I can play around with display ideas...

Last week I sorta set some stuff up in my living room to see what I had to work with...

and I bought this cake plate from Ikea to display my tiny terrariums underneath. I LOVE it.

BOO!

I made this little ghost a few years ago... dug him up to take a picture because my friend Deb was at the glass studio the other day and asked if I'd ever used glow in the dark powder in my glass creations. Indeed - here is an example. I mixed some of the bright green glow powder in with Borosilicate Kryptonite colored glass (cuz this color already looks like it should glow - I think it makes a great combo) and made these little ghosts. The more powder the better, and you have to mix it into the glass, as it will not stick to the surface really - but if you get enough in there it really glows quite powerfully!

here are a couple links for the powders:

http://glowinc.com/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=3

http://www.sundanceglass.com/glow-glass-powder.htm

http://www.lampworketc.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3146795

Fusible Decal Paper on Glass

My friend Laura made these little glass pendants using images that were printed onto photo fusing paper. She pointed out that if you use French Vanilla Bullseye glass (the reactive glass 0137) instead of White (0113 or 0013) the decal looks almost black (note: its not really black, but the dark brown reaction with the vanilla looks black!)

The image above shows one decal fired on White Glass under clear (the pumpkin) and another fired on French Vanilla under clear (the witch). I'd bet the new Reactive White (0009 Reactive Cloud) would also make the decal look sorta black.

At the Aquila Glass School you can get Don to print out your images onto "Photo Fusing Paper" (he has the paper and a laser printer) and many people use this product to put images into their fused glass projects. They bring in their image saved onto a memory stick and he prints it out onto the decal paper. You wet the printed paper and slide the decal onto your glass. The results can vary, but its a simple and effective process.

The iron oxides in the laser toner make the image withstand high temperatures of firing the glass, afterwards it leaves a sepia-tone type image (sort of a burnt rusty color).

Here is a link for more information and prices for having Don print your decals:

http://www.thestoreataquila.com/photo_fusing_paper.htm

to check out Laura work:

http://appleglassoriginals.etsy.com

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Little Terrariums

A few days ago I taught a class in miniature glass blowing - I couldn't help but play around a little near the end of class and my mind starting wandering to mini terrariums... this afternoon I put some plants in two of them! First some small glass beads in the bottom, some dirt, a little water and then a few strands of my favorite little succulent plant...

Stumpsucked

Here are some results from the fun I have been having with Brandyn - I included links at the bottom of this post for my explanations as to what "Stumpsucking" is and what the tools look like.

Basically what you are looking at is my tiny little sculptures encased in a solid clear glass paperweight.

The little gecko (also could be a salamander) turned out great

the rocket ship was fun, gave us all sorts of other ideas...

Brandyn had made a bunch of octopuses on clear patties - they looked like spiders in the end :)

my beetle looked better before encasement... the antenna fell in the hot glass (they were soo skinny and tiny) and its just not that clear to see what it is...

the bee was pretty funny looking before and after! but it turned out pretty great, the wings didn't move a bit, the pollen on the legs is still there and visible... this one also gave me ideas... for instance making a bee hovering above a flower!

Next I am going to encase some ladies doing yoga...

More blogging about stumpsucking:

• Pictures from Stumpsucking
• Stumpsucking Today