glass

Glassmaking: Morganica (Cynthia Morgan) demonstrates the technical and creative challenges of making art using glass through fused glass, coldworking, and experimentation. Primarily focused on the casting of glass, including pate de verre and reservoir casting, she also discusses less-used kinformed glass techniques such as tack-fusing, kilncarving, and pattern-bar development.

3 02, 2014

WaxVac frit-drawing tool

2014-09-14T11:30:36-07:00

WaxVac Hampton Direct $7.99 on Amazon I put earwax vacuums right up there with nosehair clippers and recreational high colonics, so it kinda took me aback when online artist friends said they LOVED theirs. (eeeeeuuuuwwwww) Turns out that if you don't use one for slurping out your ears, it makes a fairly good frit-drawing pen. The one I tried, Hampton [...]

WaxVac frit-drawing tool2014-09-14T11:30:36-07:00
18 05, 2012

Fusathon: Make glass, eat and win

2016-05-16T00:27:06-07:00

Hey, glasslanders: Just a quick reminder that Fusathon 2012 is TOMORROW! Clear your Saturday because this is going to be FUN! Yup. That's Saturday, 10-2, at the Uroboros glass factory. We'll be making fused blanks for bowls/plates that will be sold at the Portland Blues Festival over the July 4th holiday. All proceeds go to the Oregon Food Bank.

Fusathon: Make glass, eat and win2016-05-16T00:27:06-07:00
15 05, 2012

Art fair, year 3

2017-10-07T18:05:50-07:00

To all artists who make (at least part of) a living doing artfairs: Superpeople. You're superpeople. Your muscles are titanium, your brains are solid gold. I am not in your class. After one artfair, my muscles are jelly, and my brain is solid mush.

Art fair, year 32017-10-07T18:05:50-07:00
15 03, 2012

Boothmaker, boothmaker, make me a booth (kinda)

2017-10-07T18:05:38-07:00

One nice thing about a glass art blog is that it's read by...(drumroll) ...artists. Especially artists who sell their work at artfairs and such. And that's just who I want to talk to now. If you've designed a good booth for selling arts and crafts: I need your advice. Please?

Boothmaker, boothmaker, make me a booth (kinda)2017-10-07T18:05:38-07:00
22 02, 2012

Coldworking small castings

2020-11-26T12:52:23-08:00

Q: Is there a better (faster, cheaper) way to coldwork small glass sculptures? A: Yep A BeCon or two ago, Richard Whiteley, head of the Canberra glass school, said that glasswork fresh from the kiln was only half finished; coldwork was necessary to take it the rest of the way. Ouch. I happen to agree with him, but as much as I love HAVING coldworked, I hate DOING coldwork and seem to be on a neverending quest to avoid it. Right now I'm testing a bunch of machines to see if they can automate the finishing process for small cast glass sculptures, like pendants.

Coldworking small castings2020-11-26T12:52:23-08:00
13 02, 2012

Cutting remarks (cutting glass with a tile saw)

2021-05-27T13:38:25-07:00

It's all in the way you slice it. And the way you slice it is, apparently, profoundly affected by a good blade. Check any glassmaker's forum and you'll probably find someone with glass cutting issues, usually stemming from a tile saw that's more like a Cuisinart than a slicer. I don't claim any special expertise at this stuff, but I do have a decades-old, cheap, badly made, out-of-true tilesaw that reliably cuts amazingly thin murrini cane* slices. I do this a lot. So I must be doing something right...right?

Cutting remarks (cutting glass with a tile saw)2021-05-27T13:38:25-07:00
22 11, 2011

Favorable (glass) reactions

2017-10-07T18:05:27-07:00

If you mix frit colors--as all pate de verre and frit painting artists do with abandon--you quickly learn about reactivity between colored glasses. Try warming up the chill BE Salmon Pink with a little BE Medium Amber, and the resulting sludgy grey-brown will stick in your mind forever. Or so I thought. At a beginning casting workshop recently, one of my students complained that it was tough to simply remember what reacted with which. Or worse, when they combined glasses from two manufacturers, they couldn't find any reactivity info at all, which apparently resulted in some unpleasant surprises.

Favorable (glass) reactions2017-10-07T18:05:27-07:00
29 10, 2011

Pate de verre in a hurry

2016-03-19T21:39:19-07:00

How do you give non-casters a taste of pate de verre making..in less than four hours? That was the assignment, anyway. It was the Portland chapter's turn to host the Oregon Glass Guild's annual state meeting, and we wanted to do something a bit special. We decided on a theme of Stretch Your Wings, and gave it multiple meanings. First, we meant "stretch your wings by reaching out to the community." Instead of focusing on personal enrichment, this time we'd make art for the community, a glass quilt to be installed in a local hospital. Everyone who came would make at least one 6x6 inch tile for the quilt.

Pate de verre in a hurry2016-03-19T21:39:19-07:00
29 08, 2011

Headed for the Pearl

2017-10-07T18:05:01-07:00

"I'd much rather have you in the booth, instead of helping with setup," she said, and I felt a mild tingle of pride. "I suppose," I said modestly, "You want your best *people* people out front, interacting with the public." "No, it's just that schlepping pedestals isn't exactly your strong suite," she replied, "I saw you working setup last time." That's what I love about New Yorkers: You never have to wonder what they're thinking.

Headed for the Pearl2017-10-07T18:05:01-07:00
11 08, 2011

Keryn Whitney and glass inspiration

2017-10-07T18:04:45-07:00

Got the sweetest email the other day, right on the heels of my, er, terms & conditions for the use of this blog. Don't know if one had anything to do with the other, but it sure tickled me to read this: Hi Cynthia I just wanted to send you a quick thanks for imparting your wonderful knowledge on the use of super glue with fusing.

Keryn Whitney and glass inspiration2017-10-07T18:04:45-07:00
Copyright © 2024 Cynthia Morgan | All Rights Reserved
No part of this website may be copied, borrowed, or used in any way without the expressed, written permission of the author (me).

Or, to put it in plain English, folks: Ask first. This blog is first and foremost a personal journal, a chronicle of my work with a fairly difficult technical medium. I'm happy (thrilled, even) to share what I know, and I'll help you with your own journey all I can... as long as you respect my groundrules.

I don't sell ads, products or services, and unless disclosed I buy all products/services mentioned in this blog, with my own money. I don't claim to have invented processes, tools, new artforms, or techniques (unless I specifically say so). HOWEVER, my writing and art (and any errors of fact or fiction) are my very own, original work. Don't blame anyone but me if I get it wrong.
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