Tuesday, January 30, 2018

5 Reasons Why Pro Fuser’s Take Notes




Being artsy and creating original art is exciting. It feeds the mind, body and soul with inner joy and peace.  

Glass fusing has broad appeal due to the ease at which plain sheet glass can be transformed into flashy pieces of art. It’s this facet that makes this medium attractive to artists and crafters who love hands-on immersion.    

But glass fusing is different from other mediums. Kiln operation and following firing guidelines make glass fusing science as much as art. Of course, you can ignore that reality. Stay in the safe zone, using pre-programed kilns and adhering to standard firing schedules. Copy and make the same reliable projects that everyone else is sharing. But the real exciting creations are inspired by stepping outside the box. To stretch your imagination and take your art to an all new level of amazing, you must take your work more seriously.

Approach your hobby like a pro.

Get organized. The best way to master the technical aspects of science, and benefit from your process is to take notes of your work in progress. Once the technical aspects are under control, the artist is free to focus on the creative development of the art.

You argue, why stop the creative flow to take boring notes?

Here’s why the pros take notes.

1 Creative inspiration.

We’re human. We forget intricate details. Remembering the big, broad strokes is easy. It’s the tiny nuances that drift away like fluffy dandelion seeds on the wind. These seemingly insignificant concepts are what make your art your own, unique creations.

Pros take notes even when making routine pieces. They know that new design ideas come from recycling and reorganizing old tried and trusted design ideas. Often, my groundbreaking innovations are the product of combining an unlikely variety of tiny concepts. I pull minor techniques from previously made art and merge them to develop a single new creation.

Plus, if you’re consistent and establish good note talking habits, you’ll free up mind space previously dedicated to remembering your methods. This open-air gives new ideas room to live and grow.         

2 Find encouragement.

A notebook is black and white proof you’re making progress. No matter how small, every entry is positive reinforcement that you’re learning new things, trying new techniques and growing your creative style. It’s a tribute to hard work and an ego boost whenever you need encouragement to forge ahead.

Success is a terrific confidence builder. When you have a notebook full of great success stories it promotes cheerful production. At any time, you can flip through those messy pages and marvel over all the beautiful pieces you’ve made.

It’s a thrill to revisit simple projects you thought you’d outgrown. You remember how much fun it was to lose yourself in the creative zone and consider remaking old favorites for the joy of it. That’s priceless.  

3 Build self-confidence.

By taking detailed notes of a project’s progress as its made, it’s easy to repeat successful projects with confidence. I consult my notes when I want to quickly and easily repeat projects with accuracy.

Notes are also a great reference for new project development. With them I can plan new design directions knowing what outcome to expect from certain advanced techniques. This knowledge frees me to focus my full attention on creating a revolutionary new design.  



4 Learn from your mistakes.

Another, huge benefit to cataloging your methods is you can retrace your steps backwards when disaster strikes to pin point where it went wrong. It’s a valuable teaching tool you can use to learn from your mistakes. With notes you can efficiently repeat your successes and avoid failures in the future.

In my experience, taking notes drastically improves the overall quality and success of my projects. Documenting assembly and firing methods minimizes problems and gives me the self-confidence to experiment.  

5 Trail blaze new ideas.

Pioneering new design concepts is exciting and scary. When I’m commissioned to design original art, I consult my fusing notebook for guidance. I look up projects that are similar in size and thickness to the new job. I study projects that are larger and projects that are smaller. With that information, I develop a custom firing schedule for the new job. I write a program that’s conservative, to avoid breakage, and yet gives me the desired results I promised the client.  

Like you, I don’t want to waste time, money or material on failures. We all want to start a project knowing that the finished artwork will bring our beautifully imagined vision to life. If it doesn’t, the failure is devastating. By taking notes, you can approach new design ideas with greater confidence. By knowing the parameters that have worked successfully in the past, you can take on more challenging projects and enjoy success in the future.    


Pros make it a habit.

Taking notes is the best thing you can do to improve the quality and increase the complexity of your art. Good habits are as hard to break as bad habits.

Be a pro.
Happy fusing!
Lisa  
Follow my Lisa Vogt Art Adventure Blog for more tips and tricks!   

Author Website https://lisajvogt.com/

Upcoming Classes and Webinars



There’s still time to register.
Due to a last-minute cancelation, one seat is now available.
Advanced Glass Fusing
February 6-9, 2018
4-Days, Hands-on Workshop
My private studio, Wesley Chapel, FL

Exceed your expectations! In this intense, 4-day workshop you’ll utilize the many advanced techniques today’s successful glass artists are using to elevate their work from craft to fine art. This all new program is ideal for ambitious glass fusers ready to go bigger and explore more in-depth kiln forming techniques. 


Glass Craft and Bead Expo 2018
April 4 – 8, 2018
Las Vegas, NV

It’s time to get excited about the Glass Craft and Bead Expo coming up in April. I’m offering four favorites and one new class titled, Fire and Ice. Seats are going fast so make your plans now to join me for a week of friendship, fusing and fun.

TH-08 - Painting with Frit
FR-18 - Breaking Through – Making Exhibition Quality Artwork
SA-22 - Fire & Ice, Hot Techniques for Cool Projects
SU-01 - Fusing Art Design!

I’m looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and meeting new glass fans. I hope to see you in class. 



Upscale Fusing Webinar
April 24, 2018

Incorporating pattern and texture to elevate and refine your fusing style are the focus of this in-depth webinar. Join me and learn how to tastefully blend various cutting-edge techniques to add dimension and volume to your work. With the pro's secrets revealed, you'll be on the fast-track to developing winning combinations that’ll get your work noticed!



Advanced Glass Fusing 4-Day, Hands-on Workshop
May 8-11, 2018
Join me for this intense workshop held in my private studio.
Wesley Chapel, Florida, 4-Day, Hands-on, Class size is limited.

Exceed your expectations! In this intense, 4-day workshop you’ll utilize the many advanced techniques today’s successful glass artists are using to elevate their work from craft to fine art. This all new program is ideal for ambitious glass fuser's ready to go bigger and explore more in-depth kiln forming techniques.



Something new! Check out my new writer’s blog.
Writer – Instructor – Artist

Relationships fascinate me, and so I have a new blog dedicated to the weird and wonderful ways we interact with each other.

Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Artists See the World Through a Kaleidoscope




Get Serious - Fusing Goals for 2018

A new year is about fresh starts. It’s about identifying goals for the upcoming year, and, it’s about following through to reach those goals. 

Resolutions suck. The rigidity of the all or nothing attitude makes it too easy to fail. Instead, I prefer to make a list of things I’d like to accomplish in the new year. I then make small strides to achieve those goals as soon as possible. 

But before jumping ahead. I make a list of things I’ve accomplished in the previous year. This exercise is so valuable. It confirms that there has been growth, no matter how trivial. It gives me self-confidence knowing I did actively move forward in 2017. And I can, and will continue to gain ground in the new year. 

Some of the items on my 2017 list included: I expanded my design style and took my art in a sculptural direction. I produced 2 new videos, 1 new webinar and several YouTube videos. I bought new office furniture and reorganized my work space for greater efficiency. I launched a writer’s website. We painted the guest bathroom, replaced the rollers on the sliding glass door and bought new pot holders for my kitchen, among other things. The list validates that big and small things do happen if I continue to work toward my goals. 
  
For the new year, I make a new list of goals. I prioritized the list. I estimate when items can be started, as well as how long each might take to complete. Then I dedicate time every week to completing some portion of the list.  

Artistic style won’t grow in a vacuum. 

Artists are continually exploring. We see the world through a kaleidoscope. Everything is colorful and ever changing. Being in such a constant state of flux, we seek understanding. You can float around in this happy bubble looking for answers forever, but your artistic style won’t grow in a vacuum. To reach your greatest potential as an artist it takes constant study, regular creative exercise and the dynamic company of like minds.  

Artistically, where do you see yourself next December? 

The best way to get on the fast track to elevating your technique is to seek new learning opportunities. Get involved on social media, read articles, watch a video, take a webinar, attend a class or go to a conference. 


Set aside a few minutes every day to dedicate to growing your artistic mind. No matter where you are in your creative journey, there’s always something new to learn. 
I consider myself to be experienced. I’m not an expert. I continually seek out new information, new classes and workshops to better my art and my writing. 

As artists, we’re driven to interpret our version of the ordinary and then share it for others to enjoy. If you want to elevate the quality and creativity of your art in 2018 start now. Seek ways to nurture your creative mind through new learning opportunities. 

Then next year, when you make your list of goals accomplished you’ll cheer your progress and successes.  

Let's get going!
Lisa  

Follow my blog for more tips and tricks! 



Let’s get together and fuse glass!
Creative Slumping Webinar, January 18, 2018
Reshape the way you slump and drape glass!
  

Advanced Glass Fusing Workshop
February 6 – 9, 2018
Wesley Chapel, Florida
4-Day, Hands-on

There’s still time to register!

Here’s what students are saying about the workshop.

I took Lisa's Advanced Fusing class in November. She says this class will take you to the next level, but it was so much more than that. The pieces I did in the class are easily 3 levels better than what I’d been doing (I thought I was doing pretty well!). She gave us numerous design tips and display ideas, and suggested a number of projects for the course, but we students decided between us what to focus on (and she gladly shipped pieces that finished firing after we left). We combed, cast, made drop-out vases, and learned creative ways of converting scrap into masterpieces. We made frit paintings and thick block sculptures. And of course, we got to use great equipment, far better than what I have at home.

Her spacious, welcoming home studio is easy to work in, and her home itself is full of gorgeous pieces she's done over the years. 

In summary, a great class, and I'm looking forward to doing it again!     -Pat M.