Critique, Please

Jackie Braitman · Post by **Jackie Braitman** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 3:45 pm

I've been fusing for about 9 months. I've mostly been spending this time experimenting -- And, of course, the more I learn, the more I relish the journey.

I think it's time to gather some candid critique about my journey so far. I've been exploring rhythm and translucency -- using frit and powders. My interest for the future is lighting and architectural applications. I've been making tableware, though, as a way to develop technique.

Here are links to 3 pieces I'd like comments on.

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... spx?id=696

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... spx?id=712

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... spx?id=716

Thanks, in advance.

Kathie Karancz · Post by **Kathie Karancz** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 4:42 pm

Luv it, luv it, luv it.......
How did you give it that look of texture - was it lava cloth??
Did you do your own photography???
Good for you..... awesome

Paul Tarlow · Post by **Paul Tarlow** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 4:52 pm

Jackie in Washington DC wrote:I've been fusing for about 9 months. I've mostly been spending this time experimenting -- And, of course, the more I learn, the more I relish the journey.

I think it's time to gather some candid critique about my journey so far. I've been exploring rhythm and translucency -- using frit and powders. My interest for the future is lighting and architectural applications. I've been making tableware, though, as a way to develop technique.

Here are links to 3 pieces I'd like comments on.

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... spx?id=696

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... spx?id=712

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... spx?id=716

Thanks, in advance.

Absolutely awesome Jackie. I'm trying to come up with something constructive...but it keeps coming back to they are just plain wonderful.

- Paul

Amy on Salt Spring · Post by **Amy on Salt Spring** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 5:12 pm

Can't see these for some reason. My computer just downloads a file when I click on the link and I can't open the file. Weird.
-Amy

Jackie Braitman · Post by **Jackie Braitman** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 5:30 pm

Kathie and Paul - Thank you. I've been trying to decide if they are "finished" or whether I need to add more tension to the pieces.

Kathie - the surfaces are perfectly flat. I'm delighted that you have the perception of texture since that's partially what I'm trying to create. The impression comes from the use of multiple layers of frit and powder that each have delicate patterns. I also use a WBS and sandblaster prior to the slump -- the finish is matt rather than gloss.

Amy - I'm not sure why you're having a problem with the links. The images are served from a database to a page on the site. I suspect you have some setting in your browser with instructions to download certain file types automatically. I'll check with the technical guy tomorrow (1st time I can get to him) to see what he can tell us. Since I have links like this throughout my web site, I particularly want the answer to what's happening.

Don Burt · Post by **Don Burt** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 5:45 pm

Don't know if you're inclined to work within historical decorating styles, but the triple-platter one has a color scheme that would be well suited to Tuscan decorating or even Arts and Crafts. Looks rich and evokes a natural feeling. Would look good holding one of those bosc pears.

Jackie Braitman · Post by **Jackie Braitman** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 5:51 pm

Amy - fortunately, my technical guy called about something unrelated. Try these links and see if it works better for you.

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... px?iid=696

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... px?iid=712

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... px?iid=716

Jackie Beckman · Post by **Jackie Beckman** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 6:14 pm

Gorgeous work Jackie! Very textural. I really like them - good for you. It's great to see something so fresh and original. Keep it up!

Jackie (not in DC)

Kim Bellis · Post by **Kim Bellis** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 7:56 pm

Jackie:
Beautiful! I love the illusion of texture. I really thought you used "lava" cloth also. Wow, only 9 months! Great work!!
Kim

Amy on Salt Spring · Post by **Amy on Salt Spring** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 8:17 pm

Jackie in Washington DC wrote:Amy - fortunately, my technical guy called about something unrelated. Try these links and see if it works better for you.

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... px?iid=696

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... px?iid=712

http://secure.retailcooperative.com/Pag ... px?iid=716

Thanks--those links work. The first and the last remind me of Roman glass. Like the color mix in the second--great texture.
-Amy

Susan Moore · Post by **Susan Moore** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 8:17 pm

Jackie,

Love the color, the shape, the look of texture! Beautiful work. Thanks for sharing.

Susan

Mira · Post by **Mira** » Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:39 pm

Jackie - There's no doubt why you're getting so many posts -- you're work is awesome. I'm curious, you say you've been fusing for only 9 months - what were you doing prior to that? You seem very advanced!

My comment is that I like the way you have created a cohesive body of work. They are all different, yet leave me with the same feeling that they have an ingredient in common. One of my measures of good glass is how bad the picture makes me want to touch it. If I saw your work in a gallery, I'd have to break the rules and risk being thrown out. Your work would don my fingerprints!

Mira

Jackie Braitman · Post by **Jackie Braitman** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 9:59 am

Thank you all for your encouragement. I wasn't getting much from friends and family (who all seem to prefer representational work). I was beginning to question my progress.

Mira, no real art background prior to this (except as a buyer). I was in the corporate world for about 20 years and then started an information company about 10 years ago. Unfortunately, that business is failing and I'm struggling with what to do with myself now that I've exhausted all the money I made during the 1st part of my life. Wondering whether I could make a life of this stuff -- since it is certaintly consuming all of my energy and focus. During my earlier career, I did manage to renovate several houses which I loved and may be why I'm thinking of more architectural applications for the glass.

Again, thanks for the encouragement!

Mira · Post by **Mira** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 12:15 pm

Jackie,

That's interesting that you mention family and friends tend to go for the representational stuff. My husband is a pencil artist that strives for photo-realism and tends to have a similiar preference in glass. In any event, keep pushing. I suggest you start making some contacts with interior designers. I can visualize your glass as lighting in some pretty special places.

Mira

twinkler2 · Post by **twinkler2** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 2:24 pm

Jackie

Those are very cool...I love the shapes, colors and texture look

Great work- Thanks for sharing - I think they should be on display in a gallery

Me Kim

mattes · Post by **mattes** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 2:32 pm

Jackie: great work

matthias from good old europe

Amy on Salt Spring · Post by **Amy on Salt Spring** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:14 pm

Jackie in Washington DC wrote:Thank you all for your encouragement. I wasn't getting much from friends and family (who all seem to prefer representational work). I was beginning to question my progress.

My sister and her family came to visit us last summer--we went to a gallery that had some of my work and they stood in front of all three pieces completely silently (imagine the sounds of crickets) and then we left. They never said a word. Believe me you will run into this again and again. Some people can see abstract artwork and it speaks to them and makes them feel things all the more powerfully for its lack of representation and some people just have to have everything spelled out for them. You just have to trust in what you feel compelled to express and try not to be affected by those with less vision. Its hard though I know.

Bert Weiss · Post by **Bert Weiss** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 3:44 pm

jackie

is that 10mm float and frit?

Cynthia · Post by **Cynthia** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 4:44 pm

Jackie in Washington DC wrote:I've been fusing for about 9 months. I've mostly been spending this time experimenting -- And, of course, the more I learn, the more I relish the journey.

...I've been exploring rhythm and translucency -- using frit and powders. ...
Thanks, in advance.

Beautiful color, really beautiful color... and good gritty visual texture. I see the rhythm, the translucency...and the visual texture is a real bonus move. I know pictures aren't good at describing well what a piece of glass really looks like, so I wonder what kind of depth your pieces exhibit. I expect there are layers of color that read through one another and shift in shade and shape with the layering...or so it appears. Yummy.

I'm assuming that by asking for a crit you want some constructive criticism as well...

With a critique, there should be a discussion about what works, and also about what might work better. So here are my thoughts about what things you might want to consider in your work to further it and your journey in your explorations of glass

. {What a goofy sentence that was!}

One thing you might want to play with is adding a touch of variety into the work...including some device in either your form or the visuals (or both) to draw the eye here, then there and back again. This is hard to do with non-representional work...but you have a good eye and it's certainly doable. I see an overall pattern of color and texture in these pieces which is very successful at creating a body of visual unity, but I am waiting for the punch, for the 'Oh' moment where I find something that suprises me or delights me or stops me in my tracks asks me to look a little longer, think a little harder.

That probably sounds a bit (as my Mother calls it) artsy fartsy, but I see really strong work here...and I believe you can take it a step further. There are basic design techniques that can be employed to give it that focal point(s), smattering of variety to add a new beat to the rhythm, a little suprise...I've got a favorite book from my college days titled Design Basics. I tout it a lot, but it really is a useful and user-friendly primer on the elements of design and how to employ them successfully regardless of your medium. If you want the publisher and author, send me a PM.

Non-representational work, or even abstracted work is simply not as accessible to, or well understood by the general population. Doing it well is hard because you don't have a point A to connect to a point B like you find in figurative and representational work. Don't let the silences worry you. You'll connect with your audience, and they aren't the folks who are comfortable only with realism...they'll be the ones who want to experience the rhythm and movement of texture and color, positive and negative space, form and function, scale and...

I took my mother to see a show that I am exhibiting in currently. She didn't even look at the work, but thought the marble floors and birdseye maple pedesals were to die for. She doesn't not like my work...she just wouldn't want it in her home

Nice work. You'll do just fine me thinks.

Jackie Braitman · Post by **Jackie Braitman** » Tue Feb 10, 2004 5:27 pm

Bert - No, I haven't worked with float yet. There's a 3mm base of 1101 BE with an additional 3mm of several layers of frit and powder. I'm eager to see what I can do with float since I always start with clear -- but I'm also spoiled by the beautiful range of colors available from BE. I was about to order some of the frit that Ed Hoy advertises as compatible with float -- would you recommend anything in particular.

Cynthia - Yes, I definitely wanted to hear the types of ideas you conveyed. I was feeling that I needed what I called "more tension" in the work. There wasn't a design focus or an Ah Hah!. I have some ideas about where I want to go from here and have been doing experiments to try to achieve in glass what I have in my head.

Cynthia, I can't tell how much your encouragement does for my soul. I very much appreciate your thoughtfulness in looking critically at my work.

WarmGlass.com

Critique, Please

Critique, Please

Re: Critique, Please

Re: Critique, Please