Hello from the glass studio!

If you've read my "Sparkling Stories" blog then you know that somehow I misplaced November.  

It all has to do with the time it takes to create art.

My slumped bottles with cheese spreaders displayed at the December Holiday Boutique.

After my September exhibit of flood stick sculptures I thought I was entering a period of time to catch both my breath and up on all the waiting chores.  But, I'm learning, when one says YES to art, it has a flow and an energy all its own.

After my September exhibit, the gallery owner, Suzette, began to conceive of a Holiday Boutique featuring five women artists from this area for the first week in December.  I was asked to make fused glass jewelry, something I have done for many years and sold in Ohio. But, I shied away from even mentioning it in this area because it seems like there are so many fused glass artists.  

My fused glass display at the Holiday Boutique.

In Ohio I loved the connection I had with my customers.  With each presentation of new work the response was enthusiastic and genuine.  I could see what pieces garnered the most attention and could discern preferences for colors and offerings.  

Best of all was when I would be approached by someone wearing a piece I had made.  It's a odd feeling when I create art, especially jewelry because it's so personal and worn on the body.  I know I'm not making it for me but I rarely know for whom I am making it.  Then, when someone shows me her pendant, I think, But, of course!  Of course it belongs to her!  

Note cards and fused glass jewelry await at my display.

That's what I lost after a few years of continuing to create and ship my work to Ohio to the gift shop gallery.  I didn't know who was buying it and I didn't get to see them respond to it.  So, I decided to step away from fused glass jewelry and received my box of remaining jewelry in August.

And, that's when the Universe laughed!!

Next thing I know I'm agreeing to make fused glass jewelry for the December Holiday Boutique--and, now for a charming gallery in Greeley, Madison and Main, for it's "Totally Local" exhibit Jan. 9-Feb. 27, 2015.

This means a return to my studio just after I stepped out of it!!  So, since this is my current world, I thought you might like to see my approach to creating fused glass jewelry.

This is my glass table in the garage studio.  It's an old metal desk with a poster-board work space that I can write notes or sizes upon.

Metal works for me because I'm meticulous about sweeping away the tiny glass shards and pieces into my "rubbish" container.  

I also NEVER even THINK about working with glass without my safety glasses firmly perched on my face.  I was instructed years ago by a teacher who admonished, "You only have one set of eyes!"  I think of that every time I reach to score and break glass.

I like to create my jewelry using dichroic glass, which is sparkly and pretty to behold.  It's also expensive, which is why fused glass artists use tiny pieces and judiciously place them for impact.  

Some fused glass artists use a mold and that's why all the pendants and earrings are all the same size and shape with the only difference being the glass used.

Of course, I approach this differently.  Every piece is created like a tiny abstract painting and no two pieces--even earrings that I TRY to make similar sizes--are unique and individual.  It's a relationship with the kiln, really.  I do my part.  The glass does its part and then the kiln takes a turn.  Sometimes it's what I expect.  Most often it's very different from what I imagine when I place the glass in the kiln.

 I open my containers and begin with whatever glass catches my whimsy.  Then, I score it with a cutting tool to create an edge with which to break it. Each little piece takes a score and a break.  Big, small, doesn't matter. Score, break.

I use a glass glue that burns away during the kiln firing to build up my layers.  These particular pieces (right) will be tack fused so I don't build them up very high.

Tack fused, 1350 degrees, is just hot enough to attach the pieces together but not enough to melt them into one piece.  The edges will be more distinct in shape and one can feel the attached glass as it is rough and not smooth.  

A full fuse, at 1470 degrees, is hot enough to melt the glass into one smooth piece with soft rounded edges.  When I am creating pieces for a full fuse I often layer on the clear glass as it give me a window of sorts to look deep inside the dichroic glass.  It's one of the ways I can always spot my glass from the work of other glass artists.  

In addition to the amazing part the kiln plays, I mentioned that the glass must do its part.  That's also a fluid component.  With dichroic glass, firing it one direction is completely different from flipping it over and firing it that way.  And, just when I think I understand the effect I'm going to get, there is the glass that appears one color and fires something else entirely!  I have been baffled and astonished at what I get after a firing and I open the kiln lid!! I think I'm getting pink and I get teal!  Learning my glass characteristics is like learning a foreign language!

  The pieces I have in the kiln for this run are for a full fuse.  I also want to slump a bottle so I've arranged my glass on my shelf paper (a luxury I indulge rather than having to mess with the kiln wash) with plenty of room to spread out as each one melts at 1470 degrees.

I have had my small kiln for many years and bought it from Delphi, a great glass and equipment source.  I am spoiled because the heating options are pre-programmed and all I have to do is select my firing choice and push "start."  

The next day the firing is over and the kiln cool enough to open.  (Note:  Opening too soon will result in cracked glass.)  

After the cabochons (formerly pieces of pre-kiln glass) come out of the kiln I like to sand any sharp edges so that each piece is delightfully smooth in the hand and won't snag clothing.

Next, the bails are glued onto the cabochons to create pendants.  Or, small cabochons are glued to earring backs, rings and bracelets.

I prefer to use sterling silver lever backs for my earrings in that style and surgical steel for the post style.

I use sterling silver when I can find it and silver plate when I can't.  

Creating fused glass jewelry requires patience to play with the tiniest pieces of glass.  I often use long tweezers to precisely place pieces where I want them.

It requires time to step into the creative energy so that each piece is created uniquely and one at a time.

Don't forget a good sense of humor and willing to laugh and shake one's head when the kiln is opened.

My responses have ranged from a number of things, including, "What the heck?," as well as, "WOW!"

My darling husband often refers to opening the kiln door to see what we get to the anticipation of Christmas morning

But, remember, regardless of whether you've been naughty or nice, the kiln has a good time playing with you.

Just be willing to play back.

Nothing a little paint can't fix...

Oh, my, have I been having some fun lately.  

It all started when I came across this very comfortable pair of white leather loafers at the end-of-summer sale at Marshall's.  I already had a pair of comfortable white leather loafers and walked away.

It wasn't until I was driving home that I thought, But, what if I PAINTED them?

The next time I had a free moment I googled "shoe painting" and sure 'nuf--there's quite a world out there of which I was unaware!!

I clicked on a You Tube video and as I watched this woman paint a shoe I was HOOKED!  

I didn't need to go further so can only recommend this book, Sassy Feet, by Margot Silk Forrest and Destiny Carter.  (You'll love their You Tube "how-to" video and the website, www.sassyfeet.com.)  I ordered the paint and the brushes they recommended and couldn't wait to begin!

I LOVE shoes!!  I really do.  I love shopping for them, wearing them, looking at them and even giving them away when I'm ready to say goodbye to them. I have shoes for all occasions, boots for all weather conditions, sandals for hot summer days and slippers for snug winter nights.  It's a wonderful world of shoes out there--and, it just got more colorful for me!!

I decided to start with a pair of leather cowboy boots in a rather odd hue of green.  Yes, green.  (I know, what was I thinking?)  Meet the "before" green boots.

I should point out that the blue painter's tape that I precisely placed where the sole meets the upper boot is totally unnecessary.  It was even a hindrance.  So, note to self:  Trust the fan brush.  It works precisely enough that one doesn't need to waste time taping.

You'll see that I have a couple plastic containers on the table.  I keep one with water--this is an acrylic paint--and one to use as a palette of sorts.  If you make a mistake, no problem, just moisten a cloth and wipe away.  And, if you get interrupted and need to put your brush aside, place it in the container with water to keep it from drying out.

If you decide to jump into this I hope you will read the book for yourself to understand the process and all the possibilities, but if you just want the Toby Short-Cut Version, continue reading.

Prepping the leather is simple--a cotton ball or a rag with rubbing alcohol to wipe over the leather.  For synthetic materials use fingernail polish remover.  And, that's it for the prep work.

I ordered both pearlized paint and basic primary paint colors.  As an artist who has worked with both oil and acrylic paints, I figured I could just about mix any color I wanted with the basic colors of red, blue, yellow, black and white.  I was right. If you are a beginner painter without mixing experience you might want to order the exact color you want instead of trying to mix it.

I decided to color block my boots using the pearlized paint.  Ooh-la-la!  From green to glam!! Another Note to Self:  It doesn't take long for the coats to dry but don't be in a hurry to apply another coat before the first one is completely dry.  I kinda rushed it on this pair and had to do a few minor repairs when I wore them the first time and the creased the toe.  So, now I give the paint plenty of time to dry and have had zero problems/repairs.

My first color block--PINK!

Pink toes, orange-rust heels and upper front and coral upper back!

I dusted the toes and heels with the orange-rust to give them added pizazz!

For my next amazing effort, I decided to paint a pair of shoes and boots for my granddaughter, Bella, who just turned 7 years old.  I bought a pair of black ballet flats and a pair of black boots, both comprised of man-made materials.

I was surprised at how differently the same pearlized paint looked on this synthetic material as opposed to my leather cowboy boots.  It was an entirely different color but still fun and colorful.















For the ballet flats I custom mixed a periwinkle color and used two different shades to emphasize the style changes in the shoe.  I liked the color so much, I found a black pair of leather flats in my closet to paint periwinkle, too!

I decided to pick up a pair of taller leather cowboy boots at a consignment store ($15) for my next color block effort and loved the result!!

Original red-brown color.

I also dusted the toes and heels with a pewter color to break up the expanse of turquoise.

From above, they look fabulous with jeans!

You can see that I'm having waaaaayyyyy too much fun with all of this!  Here's my last "before" and "after"-- another pair of leather cowboy boots from the consignment store purchased last spring for $5.  

This time I wanted to pick up some of my favorite colors from a wool shawl that I often wear.

This required a little color-mixing luck and saavy to get just the hues I wanted, but I am delighted with the results.

Instead of the pearlized paints I used the basic primary colors and you can see the lovely results!

The finishing touch, by the way, (and this will make you smile) is a coat (or two or three) of Pledge with FUTURE Shine Premium Floor Finish!  No, really!  Not only does it seal the paint but it protects the paint job.  (And, yes, Sassy Feet sells it in very affordable small amounts.)

I have had to put my paints away for now--but only because I have other artistic pursuits to complete prior to my first Holiday Boutique with four other women artists the first week of December at The Boardwalk Gallery in Windsor, 115 N. 5th Street.

For more information on that please go to: www.tobybakerart.com

So, if you're a shoeaholic like I am and have lots of comfortable shoes that you don't wear very often because you have too many black flats or the color has gotten weary, I hope you'll consider a fantasy flight with a little shoe paint!!

At the Top of the World in Rocky Mountain National Park!

Fall yellows in Rocky Mountain National Park beckon the spirit.

Even though our mid-80 temps each day would confuse one into thinking that summer continues, it is, in fact, autumn in God's Country.

The High Country is under no illusion that it is still summer.  It is most definitely autumn, just a cold gust of wind away from the first tastes of winter.

It is an annual pilgrimage to make one's way into the mountains to breath in the crisp fall air and behold the colors of aspen in all their stunning beauty.  Bringing my cameras is mandatory.

We like to start our journey with a stop in Estes Park, enjoying lunch at the historic and haunted Stanley Hotel.  Views from the front balcony will take your breath away.

  
It is a short drive to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.  Even though we went last Tuesday afternoon, all three gates were staffed with Park personnel and traffic was consistent and strong.

We are frequent visitors to the park and have favorite photo stops.  This is our first one.  In the winter it's not unusual to see this park filled with elk.  Today it was filled with color.

On this day we were rewarded when we got to our first dramatic viewing area--the road was still open to continue further into the park!!  You might laugh at this, but I've not been "further into the park"-- last year it was closed due to flooding, the year before because of wildfires and we were chained to box busting our first summer here.  It is always closed in winter.  So, seeing the road open, my heart sang and we continued up in elevation!!

The scenery begins to transform as one gets higher in elevation.  You know you're getting near the tree line when you see the deformed and stunted krummholz trees clinging to the rocky sides of steep inclines.  They are favorites of mine, because they find a way to grow despite the altitude, the ferocious winds and arctic temperatures.  

The weather was so changeable providing dramatic ominous clouds, bursts of sunbeams, squalls of cold rain, freezing wind and it was all ideal for a trek to the top of the world!!

Ken and I chided each other since we had considered bringing our gloves but since it was mid-80s at home we decided (foolishly,) how cold could it get?

Actually, pretty darn cold with the wind chill.  We know better, of course, but even the weather veterans can get lulled into under packing for a trip to the High Country!

We stopped for breathtaking views of the mountain ranges and quickly headed back to the car to warm up and continue going up.

We were amused to snap a photo of the Marmot and a description of this sub-alpine animal, never expecting to actually see one.

But, as we drove up the two-lane highway near some rocks there was a Marmot scampering out onto the road!  Of course everyone came to a stop until it decided to make its way back to the safety of the rocks!

As the cold air thinned due to our increase in elevation, we noticed that even our short walks to scenic view points took more breath.  It's odd to realize how much altitude affects the body.

As we continued our climb, I should point out that if you are at all nervous about driving on roads in which the drop-off is a sheer cliff, this might not be the trip for you.  

I read that this is the highest paved highway in America and it's easy to see why it has this distinction as one keeps going up.

It's about at this point in the trip that we are at 12,000 feet elevation.  The vertical stick in the top photo on the right hand side by the way is a marker familiar to areas in which the snow gets so deep that one loses all sense of the road.  Trying to make one's way during the height of winter could get very scary without markers to at least hint at the way,

One comes down from the rocky top to reach this remote and wonderful visitor center and gift shop!!!  Honestly, it was packed with visitors from all over the world.

(I confess I had to have my souvenirs, too.)

The building sits rugged and sturdy on the edge of what seems like a big crater that still has snow in its basin. It is solar powered, runs off a generator and has water brought to it.  The outhouses are water-less, as one might expect at that altitude and location.

This is fragile sub-alpine tundra at this elevation.  We're way above timber line and what manages to grow is low to the ground and resilient in ways I can only imagine.

Finally, it's time to head back down, through the mountains, saying goodbye to a splendid and serendipitous adventure of seeing the fall colors AND traveling to the top of the world!!

Why are artist's statements so grueling to write?

Detail of "It Takes A Crooked Stick to Float A Crooked Mile"

Actually, I can answer that.  

It just so happens that I'm working on mine for my upcoming exhibit in two weeks.  

I have written many artist's statements over the years and they're NEVER easy to write.  

If you're unfamiliar with an Artist's Statement, it's basically an introduction to one's art.  They're not very long, somewhere around 3-5 paragraphs, and yet if it's badly written it can diminish what could otherwise be a spectacular display of creative endeavor.

I read in Wikipedia that Artist's Statements began in the 1990s, so artists before that time didn't have to worry about this aspect of introducing someone to their art.  

Not true today.  Now when an Artist's Statement is hung on the gallery wall (as mine will be) it becomes an invitation, an explanation and an element to the installation itself.

In this brief statement I want to tell you why I make my art and what inspires me to make it.  I want you to understand what it means to me and what makes it special.  I need to describe my work, not because you're not there to see it, but because I want you to know more.  

For this exhibit of my flood stick art, I want to draw you into what I consider a magical world of sticks from a river.  Each wall sculpture tells a story and every 3-D sculpture has its own personality.

Detail of "Wood Sprite"

      

Detail of "Fish Bait"

Today, once I finish with my writing, I plan to screw on the engraved metal tags with the name of the piece and my name as sculptor.
  

It is an awesome task to assign a name, I think.  It says, 

"These sticks floated down the Cache la Poudre River and lodged in a place where I could find them, harvest them, select just the right pieces and haul them home where I washed them, sorted them and then was inspired to use them creatively.

No longer are they nameless sticks, twigs, branches and chunks of wood bobbing on wild flood waters.  Nope.  Now they are "Tangled" or "Bend Like A Willow" or "River Dancer" or "Wild Thing."

To me they emit emotion and churn up mysterious back stories.  

Did this strange wood float half a mile or 125 miles to reach me?


Was this charred chunk of wood from a happy campfire or a raging wild fire?

Did this wood float unencumbered down 6,000 feet in elevation or was it just up the bend waiting for another Hundred Year Flood?

Uh-huh.  Now you can see why it's so challenging to write an Artist's Statement. 

Now I imagine you are dying to read my Artist's Statement for Mastery-In-Nature.  Okay, it's a first draft but here it is:

                                                                Artist's Statement

When I stand on the banks of the Cache La Poudre River and hold a flood stick, as I refer to it, I feel connected to a historic river that has its beginnings high in Rocky Mountain National Park and ultimately empties into the Great Gulf of Mexico.

It is a connection to past, present and future as well as a 126 mile journey from the high country wilderness to me in Windsor.  This worn, well-traveled stick somehow survived a journey down through the mountains, emerging from the foothills, dropping over 6,000 feet in elevation and somehow got caught here at this place where I have found it.

After both the fall and spring flooding of the Cache la Poudre River I was attracted to the flotsam left by water now departed.  As a sculptor whose work is abstract and imaginative, I could not resist it.

As I began poking into piles and piles of stick jams, as I refer to them, I discovered beautiful and graceful sticks; charred chunks of wood I can only imagine survived mountain wild fires; twisty and funky sticks that jumped into my arms; and goofy, odd-shaped pieces with mysterious personalities.

My flood stick sculptures are created with carefully selected sticks, washed, cleaned, sun-dried and arranged in a palette on my deck according to size, shape, texture and hue.  I combine each piece with found objects such as fishing lures, battered flip-flops, snarls of fishing line, a baby's pacifier and feathers from the riverbank.

Each sculpture tells its own story.  Each is unique.  Each is a connection to the beauty and power of our very own Cache la Poudre River. 

 

Thank you Art Appreciation 100

When I was working on my Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts, I was always intrigued when artists would talk about what influenced their work.

None of us work in a vacuum, and it makes sense to me that pretty much everything must influence creative work. I can often see influences in my own work, whether it's painting, glass, clay or sculpture.  Usually it's a reflection of a recent adventure, travel to a new place, environmental changes or the sense of discovery--like hearing a new composer or watching a pink cloud float in the sky.

But, I had to laugh when I realized my major influences while creating the 3-D flood stick assemblages!  Clearly, I HAD been paying attention during Art Appreciation class!!

In case you haven't read my posts on "Sparkling Stories," I'm creating work out of sticks found along the banks of the Cache la Poudre River following major floods last fall and this spring.  I thought I would primarily create wall sculptures for the exhibit I will have this September.  These are comprised of flood sticks, twine and found relics--usually something I've found mired in the mud at the riverbank or deep within a "stick-jam," my word to describe a pile-up of sticks lodged by an unyielding tree or a stubborn riverbank.

The beginning of a "stick-jam" -- flotsam getting caught in an eddy.

 

After the river receded, this is one of my favorite harvesting sites.

Oh, I've found remarkable and strange things stuck in the sticks--lots of flip-flops, plastic bottles, tennis balls--and things I didn't expect to find like an arrow (without its feathers,) a baby's pacifier, and a hairbrush.   


 

  




This is an example of one of my finished wall sculptures, "Bend Like A Willow," created from flood sticks, sisal twine and river willow.  h - 39" x w- 50" x d 7 1/2"

            
When I'm "harvesting" sticks I have also been lucky enough to stumble upon the oddest, strangest, most intriguing bits of wood and bark.  Some I have used in other sculptures but some insisted on becoming sculptures in their own right.  And, how right they were!

And, THIS is where I realized how deeply I must have absorbed art by the great masters!  

I remember the first time I saw a photograph of this piece by Pablo Picasso, "Bull's Head."  I was so amazed that he saw the parts of a bicycle as shapes and not just handlebars and a seat.  It has influenced every piece of sculpture I've created since, regardless of medium.  

I, too, look at shapes and let my mind play with positioning.   

When I realized in my harvested collection of sticks I had naturally shaped pieces that would lend themselves to new combinations, I couldn't wait to begin!!

(All borrowed art photographs are from my well-worn textbook, ART Across Time, Second Edition, by Laurie Schneider Adams, McGraw Hill.) 

 This is my piece, "Wild Game," in homage to Picasso's "Bull's Head."  It is an assemblage of two found pieces of flood wood.  h - 12" x w - 15" x d 13"

No doubt you've seen Boticelli's "Birth of Venus."

 Here's my version, "Venus Rising," created from three pieces of found flood wood.  
l - 9 1/2" x w - 3 1/2" x h - 8 1/2"

"Venus Rising," two views.

And, here's my tribute to that famous Japanese woodblock print by Katsushika Hokusai, "Great Wave of Kanagawa." 

 This is my "Tsunami," created from two pieces of found flood wood.  I love the sweep of "water" just ready to crash!
l - 7 3/4" x w - 2 1/2" x h 8 1/2"

So, thank you again, dear art professors, who continue to show art in the dark to students you might suspect are dozing.  Surprisingly, we absorb more than we all realize!!  

Thank you for continuing to influence.


(To see more flood stick wall and 3-D sculptures please go to my website:  www.tobybakerart.com.)