Mistakes and Taking Risks

[twin vision glass]

http://www.canadahouse.com/dynamic/artw ... rkID=32941
Here is a finished bird nest and below is a mistake that will actually make a really different looking birds Nest when finally done but it was a long journey that had me pulling my hair out.

Well sometimes your best laid plans go sideways or should I say SLIDEWAYS and continues to slump right through the ring you are sagging through even though you have looked at the right temp and shut it down to go to anneal. BUT the thickness got to me and it kept the temp deep inside the thickness and just kept right on going through the ring to land on the kiln shelf below. The wows of experimenting with a thick large piece that is 22 inchs and 3/4 inch thick. BUT at the end of the day instead of a nice lovely deep slump , I now have a new BIRDS NEST which was not the plan from the beginning. BUT also I must give huge hugs and thanks to Rick Wilton who in his busy schedule took time out to help a girl in trouble who needed a lovely polish around this unique piece. He is truly an inspiration to me to take the work to the next level and a fine polish .
Now I have to get the Forged Metal Birds Nest made to compliment the piece and to match the blown colour bar egg I love creating. Will post a finished picture as soon as it is done. Les

[twin vision glass]

I forgot to say that if you don't take risks you never learn from your mistakes.

[rosanna gusler]

lemonade

[Rick Wilton]

Leslie, you are too kind.

I don't think the true scale of the piece comes through in the pictures. This piece is 16" wide and 3/4" (19mm) thick. It is much more dramatic and striking in person than these photos represent.

I am always happy to work on your pieces.

[twin vision glass]

Well my motto and Ricks is : If You Don't Succeed , Try Try Again, sooooo
I put my head down and channeled my twin sister and came up with another bowl shape. I made a mold inside a stainless steel ring out of Mold Mix 6 so that it would then turn out to be the exact size of my 22 inch slumping mold. This way I will control the slump better. So here is the new attempt. I want it to be quite different on the underside so put frit down on kiln first.
Twins discussing what to do next. As is our photo , we were very foggy that day

phpGYK51nAM.jpg (24.05 KiB) Viewed 36650 times

This photo is the new mold mix 6 ring and the top of the vessel form which is placed over the design features on the bottom

Here is the underside on the kiln shelf before the top layer goes on. Lots of reactive glass, and opaline to help make the underside alittle transparent to how the top layer through.

I am off to Portland in July for another residency at Uroboros Glass in July / Aug and am really excited to work on 40 inch vessel forms in this technique.
Leslie

[twin vision glass]

Well the flat fire is done and still will need some edge grinding but the rest is nice . I will slump in large 22 " inch mold today and see how it all goes. The underside is suttle with the sprinkling of Opaline so am happy with that and hope inside looks quite different from outside.
Les

[twin vision glass]

Underside

[twin vision glass]

Underside

The bowl slumped nicely now off to the polisher to grind the edge . Not great photos but just thought you might like to see the finished piece.

[twin vision glass]

[Michele gh]

This work says, "feathers, sky, freedom, nesting, afternoon, sunlight, clouds, flight, safety, twigs, straw, home, health, life, motion, rest, Leslie."

I would love to meet you and see your work in person. I will be in Alaska in June and then Northern California in July, with no time to visit Oregon this summer. So close, yet so far. One day...

[twin vision glass]

So close but so far away YES!! We will meet for sure though at some point. AND yes, birds, and freedom and all of the above. My mother got thrown down a flight of stairs at work by a patient and broke her back and never walked much again so she always wanted to be an eagle to soar above the earth she was bound to. So I work a lot with flight.
"
"SOARING ABOVE THE PROFOUNDLY BEAUTIFUL, MAJESTIC, AND DRAMATIC MOUNTAINS THEY RETURN. OVER THE WIND SWEPT HIGH MOUNTAIN PEAKS AND BLUE RIVERS FLOWING THEY RETURN. THROUGH TRANQUIL AND TURBULENT SKIES THEY RETURN. UNRELENTING PERSEVERANCE OF BIRDS TO TRAVEL FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES TO RAISE THEIR YOUNG. OVER RIDGES AND RIVERS AND VALLEYS THEY SOAR, RETURNING TO THEIR NESTS, OUR FEATHER FRIENDS. OUR ROCKY MOUNTAINS SING THE SOUND OF THEIR BEATING WINGS INTO OUR HUMAN SOULS AS WE WATCH OUR WINGED FRIENDS FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL; BRINGING WITH THEM SOUNDS OF SPRING AND NEW LIFE. "


BUT perhaps someone else from Portland area would drop by . I know I get to see Raphael! |Hard at work setting up kilns on July 24th and 25th! as have to get large panels on so that I can come back on the 31st and slump them until Aug. 5th!!
I can hardly waite to see my Uroboros Friends as working right in the factory is an honour . Getting filthy dirty and hanging over large kilns!!! fun fun fun . I am trying an experiment with some Zircar Refractory Material over metal so am looking forward to the challenge. Have been madly making colour bars to slice also and am happy with the colour pallet but need more (as always never enough time in a day)
Leslie

[JestersBaubles]

The bowl is stunning. I love it!

dana

[twin vision glass]

Thank you so much Dana for your kind words. Here are a few slices from my new Uroboros 90 FX colour bars for the residency. I can hardly waite to get to Portland

[Havi]

I also like a lot what you are doing now!

I enjoy very much the fact that the piece is not symmetrical, yet composed so nicely. I really love what is happening inside it, also the previous one you posted.

Keep up the good work. And share it, it is such a pleasure...

many thanks,

Havi

[twin vision glass]

It is beautiful and sunny here like my mood. You always make me smile Havi. So off I go to polish and do a test with the new colour bars. Excited !!! Les ( have to figure out how to get the piece to look as if wings are flying.)

[Sue Hunchuk]

Again, can't breathe, as your piece has taken my breath away! Stunning!

[twin vision glass]

Sue, you are always so kind and always make my day and give me inspiration to move forward on new and innovative work (well new to me anyways, trying not to look at others work but to come up with new ways to work the glass gets me up everyday with a smile on my face. ) I am also working hard to get all my border stuff ready to cross the border for the residency at UroborosGlass. Kat has been such a wonderful person to bring us all down to create with them and now I get to meet a new important person, Carmen. Everyone at Uroboros is so kind and helpful and I can hardly waite to work with everyone there. As an artist, it is so important to push the boundaries and I feel working right in the factory is such an honour and a bonus to the creative spirit. It is very hard to explain to the border people how important this trading of ideas is , and I pray this trip will be a little smoother than others. I have my PAPS and Manefest and other numbers now so should be no trouble at all. . Best to be totally prepared to come into the U.S.A. to meet all my friends down south and especially ready on the return with the fired pieces. Cannot finish them in the U.S. but will be calling on Rick Wilton when I get back as he is my biggest asset I have , an incredible work ethic when grinding and polishing and just a smile every time we meet.
So will try to get Uroboros to take some pics and post them here. Big thing to ask I know. BUT maybe better than a U-Tube as I will look frazzled and tired and high as a kite on inspiration. Les

[jim simmons]

When are you coming down to Urooros?
I would like to drop in and say "HI"
Jim

[twin vision glass]

That would be wonderful , I will arrive on Thursday the 24th I believe and work hours to get the kiln ready for the flat fire ( and then large slump) on the 31st. So Monday would be super great. What do you think. Does that work. I will have to get the other kiln on by no later than the 31st so will have alittle time on the beginning of the week. Just call Uroboros and I am sure they will allow artists to come and say hi!!!! Look so forward to it. Here is my new slumping mold that I will be covering with a moldable ceramic material from Zircar Refractory Composites (experimenting so hope it all works ) Will allow the glass to have a cushion and air between the metal and glass is my thinking.

Mold is 50 inchs x 20 inchs x 8 inchs deep. Just enough room in Euclid Kiln but we will have to put bricks all the way around the outside to raise the roof up .

[twin vision glass]