Thursday, March 6, 2008

On The Prairie


A platter that will be in the museum display August 2008 in Aberdeen SD. In the Dacotah Prairie Museum.

"On The Prairie".

Depicts prairie findings ...such as the prehistoric mammal bones...Eagles, the coming of the iron age...a train, women...rabbits ..things that represented coming to the prairie, to me.


The process for theses platters is very labor intensive.

Painting the glass I use finely ground glass that has the pigment from mineral or ore added with a flux that aides in the firing, (in the kiln) allowing a chemical process to evolve melting the new color into the substrate (clear class sheet) creating the designs.

Each color has a different maturation point.

This process is not 'just painting'!

For this platter there were 20 firings to create this design.
After each shading process or added color, each layer to the design, it is fired in the kiln creating a new layer of glass. (Because glass is being added in the color of the stain and enamel)
Each firing of the piece spends many hours ramping up then maturing then ramping down, 12-15 hours each trip!

Each time the process begins/ends if the process is not done correctly, the risk of destruction to the piece occurs.

This is called 'Vitreous Staining and Enameling Old World method'.
This is the same technique for all my glass painting...such as with the Saints below.
The look I am going for in the platters I am building for this show, are collages. Certainly this translates differently from canvas to glass, but I think I am achieving the 'look'.
The images are visible from both sides of the piece.


2 comments:

Lisa Kaus said...

Thanks for stopping by--
gorgeous piece by the way!
Lisa

Jill said...

WOW! That is just an absolutely stunning piece.