Summer is all about splash! And nothing makes me happier than
adding a splash of excitement to my fused glass art with frit. It’s easy. Frit
is such a versatile element. There are a multitude of simple ways you can apply
it to spring-board any dynamic composition to really make it your own.
Let’s dive right it!
1 Go Overboard!
Strengthen
your design by incorporating a subtle complimentary pattern in the background. When
making the Flowering Tree, I cut a leafy tree limb stencil out of stiff paper.
I then sifted soft green powders over the stencil to add the delicate woodland setting
behind the flowering plant. The addition of the soft foliage unifies the
overall project and makes it distinctly more appealing. The great thing about stenciling
a design is that each piece you make will be slightly different and therefore each
and every one has a unique beauty.
2 Go Deeper!
Consider
increasing the attraction of your work by repeating the same pattern on both
the base layer and the top layer. Simply sift powders over a stencil on the
base layer. Then turn the stencil ¼ turn and repeat the pattern on the second
layer. Stack the layers to create a new, more elegant design. This quick little
trick is a terrific way to increase visual depth and ramp up the sophistication
of your artwork.
3 Lighten Up!
Give
your design a light source and you’ll have an immediate winner. With frit you
can do it in a snap. Select frit in multiple shades of the same color. Use both
transparent and opal versions of every color in your palette. Then gradually spread
the frit working from light to dark. Blend the colors as you go for an even
more engaging flow. This painterly technique rapidly transforms flat, lifeless
images into lively three dimensional masterpieces.
4 Set the Mood!
Making
a sherbet colored tropical sunset, a magical starry night or mysterious mist cloaked
meadow is easy with frit. Think about how such enchanted places make you feel. Think
about how they draw you in, tempt you to stay and make you wonder what hidden treasures
wait for you just out of sight. Now take that feeling and make it tangible by
mixing different colors of frit and you’ll create energetic settings that
speak out loud.
5 Take the Helm!
Next
time your cut glass design doesn’t fit as accurately as you’d like, do what I
do. Throw in a zinger. Fill that nasty crevice or inconvenient hole with frit
in a color that contrasts the cut glass around it. No, you’re not fudging a mistake.
You’re making something new, adding detail and highlighting the more important characteristics
of your design.
Don’t Mutiny!
Frit
may be small but its applications are huge. Use it in small or even large doses
and as you navigate these new waters you’ll begin to fathom the many, many artistic
possibilities.
Anchors Away!
Lisa
Want to learn more?
Join me this Thursday.
Fusing with Frit Webinar this Thursday, July 7, 2016.
It’s LIVE! I come to YOU! Join me for this
live event and see how easy it is to add pizazz to all your work with frit.
Register
here
NOW Registering!
Advanced Glass Fusing with Lisa Vogt
October
18-21, 2016
Personalized
Instruction, 4-Day, Hands-on Workshop
Lisa’s
Private Studio, Wesley Chapel, FL
Seats are limited.
Register today.
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