"Absence Of Body"
Susan
Taylor Glasgow is awarded a residency at the Pittsburgh Glass Center
I'm thrilled to announce that I've been awarded a 2 month residency and exhibition at the Pittsburgh Glass Center beginning in August, with a solo exhibition running from October 3, 2008-January 3, 2009.
A residency is the playground of artists. Basically, I'll live at the PGC, meet artists from around the world, have access to PGC's top-notch glass equipment and expert technicians, and do, well, whatever I want. I'm very excited. I've done residencies in the past, both at Pilchuck and Wheaton, and before I leave for each my husband asks me "how important is this residency?". His point being that I already have a fabulous studio customized to the way I work, and of course, other obligations that are tossed to the wind for 2 months. My answer--"I don't know. I won't know until I'm back." Now, with a little hindsight, I can say, "Pivotal." At Pilchuck I was introduced to academically trained glass artists and world class equipment for the first time. Being self-taught, I was hypnotized! This was wild, man! I met Jeff Sarmiento and other talented young artists, who introduced me to new concepts in creativity and networking. At Wheaton, my fellow resident was Bill Couig, an excellent artist from NYC who worked at Urban Glass. I hitched a ride with Bill one day for my first visit to the Big Apple, and introduced myself to Doug Heller at Heller Gallery. I've been showing at Heller Gallery for 3 years now.
"The Communal Nest"
So, to quote John Burroughs, "Leap, and the net will appear". I've decided to undertake a project at the Pittsburgh Glass Center that is far bigger than myself, ready to embrace whatever wonderful things happen. The exhibition following my residency is titled "Absence Of Body". It will combine an installation and community fund raiser to benefit both the PGC and local women's shelter, Bethlehem Haven. The exhibition will coincide with the International Women's Forum also being held in Pittsburgh that month.
The main installation will be an 8' bird's nest, made up of a thousand or so glass twigs that will have been created by artists from all over the world and contributed to the "communal nest". Each artist is also invited to send a quote to be transferred onto vellum strips and woven into the nest. The center of the nest will be lined with glass feathers and a large, sewn glass pillow with a indentation in the top as though someone has just recently left. Surrounding the nest will be 5-6 additional sewn glass pieces supporting the concept of "Absence Of Body".
Call To Artists
An official "call to artists" is now made for artists to contribute to the communal nest. The project will use "crystal" clear glass twigs (colorless) from 8"- 40" in length. The largest of the twigs will be made in my studio and at the PGC. The glass can be either clear or have a frosted, translucent quality, as long as the glass is colorless. The twigs can be made by casting, torch, off-hand. or any 'ol method. Below is an easy kiln casting method to create a twig in "Glass Twig Making 101". It is recommended that the points or branches not be too delicate for obvious reasons. ARRIVAL DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15, 2008 FOR YOUR TWIG TO BE INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL INSTALLATION AND CATALOG AT THE PGC. All artists contributing to the nest will receive recognition in the catalog and will be offered a signed catalog as appreciation for their contribution. Non artist types can also contribute to the nest by donating $50 for a 20-30" twig, or $75 for a 30-40" twig. The twigs will be made by the artists at the PGC in your name, with all profits going to benefit PGC and Bethlehem Haven.
Before July 25th
Send your twigs to: "The Communal Nest"
Taylor Glasgow Studios
307 N. 10th St.
Columbia, MO 65201
USA
After July 25th
Send your twigs to: Susan Taylor Glasgow
"Communal Nest"
Pittsburgh Glass Center
5472 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
To Sponsor a twig
Send monetary donations to: "Communal Nest"
Pittsburgh Glass Center
5472 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
"Glass Twig Making 101"
Bullseye sheet glass (in 1" pieces) in sand mold Finished twigs on their way to the Communal Nest
Sand Casting: A few quick observations--you'll need a kiln a couple inches bigger than the twig you want to make to allow for the surrounding sand. I used a steel, non coated cake pan to contain the sand and to avoid the sand sifting down between the bricks in my kiln. Also, I was able to simply lift the pan out and use my kiln for other firings between twigs. Please don't forget, The Communal Nest is huge. The twigs should be at least 8" long.
Materials needed:
The biggest non coated steel cake pan you can find that will still fit in your kiln. You can also dam a kiln shelf with kiln bricks (as seen in the picture above) and fill and area with sand, but it takes up more space and requires clean up if you want to use your kiln between twig firings.
Plain 'ol brown sand
Dry Potter's Plaster as a release, with sifter
Spray bottle with water
clear colorless sheet glass, clean, and broken up in 3/4-1" pieces, large frit or cullet
Okay. Do this part on a work table outside your kiln, if you can: Fill the dammed area with sand about 1-1/2- 2" deep, depending on the size twig your casting (At least 8"). The longer the twig, the bigger it's diameter should be for strength. I made my first twigs 16-18", 3/4 inches deep, with a forked end, but did not allow the ends to become too fine. A gentle curve is nice too. Using your finger, dig a twig-shaped trench in the sand at least an inch deep, lightly spraying the sand with water and shaping the cavity. If you're doing this inside your kiln, not spray water on your kiln elements. Guess what, they don't like that, and you might get electrocuted too. Dig the trench deep enough to hold enough glass and allow for settling up to 50%. Keep the depth of your twig trench somewhat uniform and remember the glass, once molten, will be self leveling. Once you're satisfied with the shape of your twig, mist the area lightly with water and then sift potters plaster over the twig trench. You only need to sift enough to cover the sand. Allow the plaster to soak up the water, dry, and form a light crust. Now carefully fill your twig with broken clear sheet glass or large (1/2"+) frit. The larger the glass pieces, the more clear the twig will be and fewer bubbles will appear. The large finished twig pictured above is a combination of sheet glass and small frit, making it less transparent. Fill the twig carefully, so that sand doesn't fall into the twig body. If it's obvious right away the the sand wants to fall into the twig trench, remove the couple pieces of glass you've put in and mist the area again with water. Put the glass in right away even though the sand is damp, and let the sand dry during the first hour of the firing with the kiln lid propped. Fill the twig trench with glass even slightly over the top to allow for a lot of settling. Gently lower the shelf or cake pan on to posts laid on their sides to allow good support and for heat circulation and cooling. Using Bullseye sheet glass, I fire my 18", 3/4" deep twigs thusly:
100 degrees/hr to 1000 no hold
550 degrees/hr to 1250 hold 1 hr
550 degrees/hr to 1480 hold 15-25 minutes depending on your kiln
cool to 960 degrees hold 3 hours
cool 50 degrees/hr to 735 hold 1 hr
cool 50 degrees/hr to 500 hold 1 hr
off
Twigs using this method have come out crystal clear. I use minimal grinding to remove any sharp points.
Have fun!! Don't forget to include a personal quote to be incorporated into the Communal Nest. If you have other methods of making twigs that you'd like to add to "Glass Twig Making 101", send me an email, or add it to the "Absence of Body" blog at www.communalnest.blogspot.com. Be sure to include what materials are needed and detailed instructions.
© 2008 Taylor Glasgow StudiosI'm thrilled to announce that I've been awarded a 2 month residency and exhibition at the Pittsburgh Glass Center beginning in August, with a solo exhibition running from October 3, 2008-January 3, 2009.
A residency is the playground of artists. Basically, I'll live at the PGC, meet artists from around the world, have access to PGC's top-notch glass equipment and expert technicians, and do, well, whatever I want. I'm very excited. I've done residencies in the past, both at Pilchuck and Wheaton, and before I leave for each my husband asks me "how important is this residency?". His point being that I already have a fabulous studio customized to the way I work, and of course, other obligations that are tossed to the wind for 2 months. My answer--"I don't know. I won't know until I'm back." Now, with a little hindsight, I can say, "Pivotal." At Pilchuck I was introduced to academically trained glass artists and world class equipment for the first time. Being self-taught, I was hypnotized! This was wild, man! I met Jeff Sarmiento and other talented young artists, who introduced me to new concepts in creativity and networking. At Wheaton, my fellow resident was Bill Couig, an excellent artist from NYC who worked at Urban Glass. I hitched a ride with Bill one day for my first visit to the Big Apple, and introduced myself to Doug Heller at Heller Gallery. I've been showing at Heller Gallery for 3 years now.
"The Communal Nest"
So, to quote John Burroughs, "Leap, and the net will appear". I've decided to undertake a project at the Pittsburgh Glass Center that is far bigger than myself, ready to embrace whatever wonderful things happen. The exhibition following my residency is titled "Absence Of Body". It will combine an installation and community fund raiser to benefit both the PGC and local women's shelter, Bethlehem Haven. The exhibition will coincide with the International Women's Forum also being held in Pittsburgh that month.
The main installation will be an 8' bird's nest, made up of a thousand or so glass twigs that will have been created by artists from all over the world and contributed to the "communal nest". Each artist is also invited to send a quote to be transferred onto vellum strips and woven into the nest. The center of the nest will be lined with glass feathers and a large, sewn glass pillow with a indentation in the top as though someone has just recently left. Surrounding the nest will be 5-6 additional sewn glass pieces supporting the concept of "Absence Of Body".
Call To Artists
An official "call to artists" is now made for artists to contribute to the communal nest. The project will use "crystal" clear glass twigs (colorless) from 8"- 40" in length. The largest of the twigs will be made in my studio and at the PGC. The glass can be either clear or have a frosted, translucent quality, as long as the glass is colorless. The twigs can be made by casting, torch, off-hand. or any 'ol method. Below is an easy kiln casting method to create a twig in "Glass Twig Making 101". It is recommended that the points or branches not be too delicate for obvious reasons. ARRIVAL DEADLINE IS AUGUST 15, 2008 FOR YOUR TWIG TO BE INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL INSTALLATION AND CATALOG AT THE PGC. All artists contributing to the nest will receive recognition in the catalog and will be offered a signed catalog as appreciation for their contribution. Non artist types can also contribute to the nest by donating $50 for a 20-30" twig, or $75 for a 30-40" twig. The twigs will be made by the artists at the PGC in your name, with all profits going to benefit PGC and Bethlehem Haven.
Before July 25th
Send your twigs to: "The Communal Nest"
Taylor Glasgow Studios
307 N. 10th St.
Columbia, MO 65201
USA
After July 25th
Send your twigs to: Susan Taylor Glasgow
"Communal Nest"
Pittsburgh Glass Center
5472 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
To Sponsor a twig
Send monetary donations to: "Communal Nest"
Pittsburgh Glass Center
5472 Penn Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
"Glass Twig Making 101"
Bullseye sheet glass (in 1" pieces) in sand mold Finished twigs on their way to the Communal Nest
Sand Casting: A few quick observations--you'll need a kiln a couple inches bigger than the twig you want to make to allow for the surrounding sand. I used a steel, non coated cake pan to contain the sand and to avoid the sand sifting down between the bricks in my kiln. Also, I was able to simply lift the pan out and use my kiln for other firings between twigs. Please don't forget, The Communal Nest is huge. The twigs should be at least 8" long.
Materials needed:
The biggest non coated steel cake pan you can find that will still fit in your kiln. You can also dam a kiln shelf with kiln bricks (as seen in the picture above) and fill and area with sand, but it takes up more space and requires clean up if you want to use your kiln between twig firings.
Plain 'ol brown sand
Dry Potter's Plaster as a release, with sifter
Spray bottle with water
clear colorless sheet glass, clean, and broken up in 3/4-1" pieces, large frit or cullet
Okay. Do this part on a work table outside your kiln, if you can: Fill the dammed area with sand about 1-1/2- 2" deep, depending on the size twig your casting (At least 8"). The longer the twig, the bigger it's diameter should be for strength. I made my first twigs 16-18", 3/4 inches deep, with a forked end, but did not allow the ends to become too fine. A gentle curve is nice too. Using your finger, dig a twig-shaped trench in the sand at least an inch deep, lightly spraying the sand with water and shaping the cavity. If you're doing this inside your kiln, not spray water on your kiln elements. Guess what, they don't like that, and you might get electrocuted too. Dig the trench deep enough to hold enough glass and allow for settling up to 50%. Keep the depth of your twig trench somewhat uniform and remember the glass, once molten, will be self leveling. Once you're satisfied with the shape of your twig, mist the area lightly with water and then sift potters plaster over the twig trench. You only need to sift enough to cover the sand. Allow the plaster to soak up the water, dry, and form a light crust. Now carefully fill your twig with broken clear sheet glass or large (1/2"+) frit. The larger the glass pieces, the more clear the twig will be and fewer bubbles will appear. The large finished twig pictured above is a combination of sheet glass and small frit, making it less transparent. Fill the twig carefully, so that sand doesn't fall into the twig body. If it's obvious right away the the sand wants to fall into the twig trench, remove the couple pieces of glass you've put in and mist the area again with water. Put the glass in right away even though the sand is damp, and let the sand dry during the first hour of the firing with the kiln lid propped. Fill the twig trench with glass even slightly over the top to allow for a lot of settling. Gently lower the shelf or cake pan on to posts laid on their sides to allow good support and for heat circulation and cooling. Using Bullseye sheet glass, I fire my 18", 3/4" deep twigs thusly:
100 degrees/hr to 1000 no hold
550 degrees/hr to 1250 hold 1 hr
550 degrees/hr to 1480 hold 15-25 minutes depending on your kiln
cool to 960 degrees hold 3 hours
cool 50 degrees/hr to 735 hold 1 hr
cool 50 degrees/hr to 500 hold 1 hr
off
Twigs using this method have come out crystal clear. I use minimal grinding to remove any sharp points.
Have fun!! Don't forget to include a personal quote to be incorporated into the Communal Nest. If you have other methods of making twigs that you'd like to add to "Glass Twig Making 101", send me an email, or add it to the "Absence of Body" blog at www.communalnest.blogspot.com. Be sure to include what materials are needed and detailed instructions.