Mosaic Pots

6 inch pots are quick to mosaic, but not as quick as you might think. Each took about 4 hours to glue the design on, and these are not elaborate designs. Clean up takes a little less time, about 2 hours. They should make a nice addition to someones garden.

Mosaic wall plaque

This is the 3rd piece I completed grouting today. "Ride a Moonbeam" has around 6 hours in the design, and about 2 for cleanup. She didn't exactly turn out like i had in my vision but, she will do. She hangs on the wall and has a knob for hanging things on.

Stains and Enamels

Using glass stains (finely ground glass with black pigment and flux, flux burns out at the maturing temperature leaving the stain 'melted' into the glass) The dragonflies wings are stamped onto the glass, using a market rubber stamp. Then the bodies are stained with a brush. This much is kiln fired, annealed and the next step. Using enamels (again finely ground glass chips, pigment for the color and flux that burns out at a lower temperature) are added for the color on the wings. The slab is sagged into a ripple mold for the vessels shape. 4 trips to the kiln achieves this platter. Stains are permanent in glass, enamels are stable. Acids will bleach enamels color out, but not affect a stain. With care however, pictures using enamels will last centuries.

The Creek Runs...

This fused glass platter started as a clear sheet of glass. Most of the colors I use are hand ground glass by me, as glass frit. Sifted to collect particle size as powder and then coarser pieces. A person can purchase ready made frit. I use that as well.
This piece has the frit added until the color saturation was the opacity I was looking for, (achieved with many kiln firings) the blue and yellow, swirled. As the slab developed it was taking on a flow.
We have gone through several years of no flowing creeks where I live, in South Dakota. When we received many inches of rain. The run off has filled the creeks.
The swirling pattern in the slab reminded me of a flowing creek.
To enhance the flow I added powdered frit to give it a little more depth.
The dragonflies wings were stamped using finely ground glass in powder form and mixing a binding agent and fluxes to the powder, creates a stain. To use as paint.
This is fired into the glass and permanent. The bodies are glass frit. Sagged into a mold to get the shaped vessel.

Canvas/Ink Assemblege

Using a sheet of canvas.
For the background I blended inks.
The fish and river rock are hot and cold pressed watercolor paper stained with ink and paints. The grass is fluffy yarn.
The color from the picture isn't near the brightness of in person.
I am pleased with this as it is the first canvas/paper compilation in many years.

New to this...

Blogging. I just made my first post as a flower. I see them on other blogs and I thought it would be a nice way to begin this blog adventure thing. I hope I am as successful posting a picture of some of my artwork. :-)

I am a Sunflower What Flower Are You?