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.

23 04, 2010

Vitrus interruptus as a teachable moment

cynthia +2017-10-07T17:56:23-07:00

Much as I love to whine, I won't; I'm over my quota for the quarter. However, I'd just like to point out that I HAVEN'T SO MUCH AS TOUCHED A KILN CONTROLLER IN A MONTH!! Is there such a thing as glass cold turkey? Still, it's given me some time to process the directions my work is taking, come to a few realizations about what I do (and don't do) well...and maybe make some course corrections. I think educators and HR people call that a "teachable moment," which is a whole lot nicer than, say, "screwup."

Vitrus interruptus as a teachable momentcynthia +2017-10-07T17:56:23-07:00

14 04, 2010

Billet plus mold equals …

cynthia +2020-03-02T07:43:59-08:00

Remember awhile back, when I was petting a huge shipment of glass? (And in my best non-denominational mode had included most all of the blues and greens sold by Gaffer, Uroboros AND Bullseye?) For about two weeks, my house looked like the inside of a sapphire geode...and then all that glorious, sensuous glass billet was broken into chunks and melted into my molds.

Billet plus mold equals …cynthia +2020-03-02T07:43:59-08:00

28 03, 2010

Lessons in artsmanship: Dealing with galleries

cynthia +2020-06-21T13:37:32-07:00

It's official: I've had my first "me" show in an art gallery, where I was one of the attractions instead of one of the crowd. And boy did I learn a lot, mostly about what NOT to do. (For the record, the show is at Guardino Gallery on Alberta Street in Portland--if you missed the reception you missed a really nice party and a really beautifully laid-out show, including Leah Wilson's wonderful paintings. It'll be up until April 27.) Biggest lesson: It's one thing to send a couple of pieces to somebody else's show. It's QUITE another to be the show.

Lessons in artsmanship: Dealing with galleriescynthia +2020-06-21T13:37:32-07:00

18 03, 2010

Castuwhine

cynthia +2016-05-15T23:53:44-07:00

What's worse than Castuary?* Castuary squared. What's worse than Castuary squared? Obviously: Castuary cubed. I am in Castuary for three simultaneous firings, and it's driving me nuts. I've stuffed my own kiln to the gills, along with Hugh's kiln and Kat's kiln, as if I'm in some goofy and rather spendy race to see which spits out sculpture the fastest. And it's teaching me a great lesson in the whole artist/show/gallery thing: Procrastination costs bigtime money and biggertime anxiety.

Castuwhinecynthia +2016-05-15T23:53:44-07:00

11 03, 2010

An arm and a leg or three
Gallery
An arm and a leg or three

art marketing, photography, studio practice

An arm and a leg or three

cynthia +2021-06-15T14:12:11-07:00

If you added up all my blogposts since 2003, you'd have something like 7,200 separate articles. Only about 650 are actually searchable on morganica.com right now. Tried to import the rest, but so far can't figure out a way to do that without spamming the heck out of the 1,500 or so subscribers who asked to be notified when I [...]

An arm and a leg or threecynthia +2021-06-15T14:12:11-07:00

10 03, 2010

Glass makes the news

cynthia +2016-05-15T23:52:43-07:00

Hey--just a fast note for Ernie lovers: Ernie's mom is in the news. Brenda Griffith, the powerhouse GlassValkyrie wonderwoman of Atlanta, is doing her best to convert the South to kilnforming (and beadmaking and glassblowing and, apparently, nude dates at the gloryhole, but that's another story).

Glass makes the newscynthia +2016-05-15T23:52:43-07:00

17 02, 2010

Back to work!!

cynthia +2016-05-15T23:51:28-07:00

I'm SUPPOSED to be working. Instead, I'm petting crystal, which either means I'm a glassist who's finally gone over the edge...or that the nice delivery man just dropped off a big honkin' Gaffer shipment. Lordee, these things are gorgeous. How are you supposed to actually chop them up?

Back to work!!cynthia +2016-05-15T23:51:28-07:00

13 02, 2010

Weekwhacker

cynthia +2020-06-21T19:13:37-07:00

Why does there seem to be so little time when you're facing the future, and so much when you're looking back? It's mid-February already? How did that happen? Eeek. I've got to get on the ball. Now. I've got a show at Guardino's in late March/April and another, OGG's Spring Glass Gallery, at the end of April, and I'm not nearly ready.

Weekwhackercynthia +2020-06-21T19:13:37-07:00

7 02, 2010

Mighty arty

cynthia +2016-05-15T23:50:48-07:00

"That is not glass," the man said flatly, "The label's wrong." Well, yeah, it IS glass--I kinda gave birth to it--but I didn't contradict him. I was having too much fun. His wife edged up to the pate de verre panel, until her nose nearly touched it. "No, I think it *is* glass, honey," she said doubtfully, "I can see light through it." The man thwocked the piece with thumb and middle finger--I winced--and it rang satisfactorily. "I guess you're right," he said, and they moved on.

Mighty artycynthia +2016-05-15T23:50:48-07:00

4 02, 2010

Surges, Henry and Darryl

cynthia +2016-05-15T15:56:21-07:00

There's something seductive about working from home, whether it's in a studio or behind a computer. You can be as unwashed and floppy as you like and wear things the Goodwill wouldn't accept if you paid 'em (even in Portland). What you can't do, however, is drop everything and get to your next meeting on time. Too often I look up from whatever it is I'm doing and realize I have 15 bloody minutes to shower, blow-dry, make-up, dress, print out whatever it is I need and drive across town.

Surges, Henry and Darrylcynthia +2016-05-15T15:56:21-07:00