Lisa Vogt Art Adventure Blog: Lights, Camera, Action!

Lisa Vogt Art Adventure Blog: Lights, Camera, Action!: It’s been an exciting week here in the studio. A professional photographer and his crew came by to shoot an artist portrait video. They...

Lights, Camera, Action!

It’s been an exciting week here in the studio. A professional photographer and his crew came by to shoot an artist portrait video. They shot footage all over the house and inside the studio. It was such a spectacular day, they set up and filmed my interview outside in the yard.

Filming took over six hours. After editing, the finished version will be only a few minutes long. Without giving away too much, this video offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at this artist’s life and art glass career. When completed, hopefully in the next few weeks, it’ll be accessible to you online.  

In the mean time, preparations for Glass Craft and Bead Expo continue. Twelve kilns, a dozen or more boxes of fusible glass and an array of classroom supplies are on the way to Las Vegas. I’m looking forward to the change of scenery, seeing old friends and meeting new glass enthusiasts.

Glass Craft and Bead Expo

April 3 - 7, 2013

Fireworks

Book signing, April 3-7, Las Vegas, NV

See you in Las Vegas,

Lisa

Want to make your own sink!

Fused Vessel Sinks and More, 4-Day, hands-on workshop

Class size is limited.

Register online at www.LisaVogt.net

May 14-17, 2013

Sept. 24-27, 2013

Sink or Swim

Where does the time go? Each day I wake optimistic that I can accomplish every one of the 500+ tasks on my mental to-do list; then life happens and the list—well it gets shuffled and resorted. But today, the deck is stacked in our favor. I’m able to carve out time to spend with you and share the next phase of the sink building process. Enjoy!  

Fused Glass Sinks: Part 3

There are two basic types of fused glass sinks: layered and cast. Layered sinks are made by stacking cut glass circles, one on top of the other. When the fused glass comes out of the slumping mold it has a beautifully rounded, finished rim.

A cast sink is made by piling glass bits and pieces on top of a clear base. It’s generally thicker and has a sharp, unfinished edge when it comes out of the slumping mold. This kind of sink is ‘cold-worked’ on an industrial size, water-fed, grinder/polisher to make the rim smooth and shinny. It’s a multi step process. We start with a course wheel and grind the edge of the glass until its uniform and even. Then it’s ground on several medium grit wheels. Gradually, the edge becomes super smooth, but it still retains a dull haze.

 

Grinding the glass edge.

The last wheel is covered with thick felt. We coat it with polishing rouge and turn the sink on it until the edge has a high gloss shine. The grinding and polishing process can take anywhere from 2 -10 hours. The length of time depends on the thickness of the glass and the skill level of the operator.  



Polishing the glass edge.

Drilling the drain hole is the next step. A centering template is temporarily glued to the inside of the glass bowl and a small amount of water is put in the basin to ensure a clean cut. We use a 1 ¾ inch diamond coated core bit to drill the drain hole.

 

Drilling the drain hole.

We then use a diamond-coated hone to counter-sink the drain hole so the strainer drain sits flush with the inside surface of the sink.

  

Counter sinking the drain hole with the hone.

Drilling and countersinking the drain hole are the fastest steps taking about 10 -15 minutes total.

Testing the fit of the strainer drain.

 

Edge and drain hole detail.

Patience is the key to making successful sinks. This process can’t be rushed. The upside, all good things come to those who wait.  

Until next time,

Lisa

Up next:

Glass Craft and Bead Expo show countdown next week.

Las Vegas, NV April 3 - 7, 2013

Make your own sink!

Fused Vessel Sinks and More, 4-Day, hands-on workshop

Class size is limited.

Register online at www.LisaVogt.net

May 14-17, 2013

Sept. 24-27, 2013



Inspiration Overload!

Last week’s class was so much fun. In addition to making three beautiful sinks, we made a variety of decorative bowls, draped pendant lights, cast glass towers and even had time to comb molten glass inside the kiln.

All the hands-on creativity kept me so busy, that the commissioned sinks I was working on were put on temporary hold. I’ve taken a few days to reorganize since the class and I’m back on track. The sinks are in the final stages of completion and will soon be ready to ship.    

Fused Glass Sinks: Part 2  

The attraction I have to making glass sinks is simple; experience and planning can take you only so far. If you trust in the unique characteristics of the medium they can take you further, often times exceeding your expectations.

The assembled glass is fired in the kiln to a temperature of 1500 degrees and held there for a period of time while it fuses into a smooth, flat disc. It’s then cooled slowly back down to room temperature, over several hours.

Cooled fused glass disc.

 Once cool, the disc is placed on a mold and heated a second time to a lower temperature of 1265 degrees. It’s held there until it slumps and conforms to the shape of the mold. 

Cement slumping mold.

Fused glass on the slumping mold.

Slumped glass inside the mold.

Slumped glass outside the mold.

With the removal of the slumped glass from the mold the kiln work is complete. The next step is cold working. See how the rough edge is finished to a high polish and how drain holes are made in Fused Glass Sinks: Part 3, coming soon.

Make a sink of your own design!

Fused Vessel Sinks and More, 4-Day, hands-on workshop

Register online at www.LisaVogt.net

New dates posted.

May 14-17, 2013

Sept. 24-27, 2013

Happy Firing,

Lisa

Get Fired Up!

Asian Poppy

Working in the studio this time of year is invigorating. The weather has been so perfect it literally inspires creativity. All week we’ve had bright sunshine, clear blue skies and temperatures in the mid-seventies. Yesterday, I threw open the overhead door to better hear the song birds chatter while I cut glass. It was one of those rare, peaceful yet exceptionally productive days that artists enjoy when they’re deep in the zone. That’s when it occurred to me my job is unique; not everyone knows the feeling of pleasure and satisfaction that accompanies this kind of creativity. The experience was so enriching I wanted to share it with you.  

For the next week or so, I’m going to blog in real time and post the various techniques I’m using to make commissioned fused glass sinks. Fellow kiln crafters will likely pick up some tricks they can put to use in their own work. While those of you who are not familiar with fusing will be surprised to learn that this form of art is more complex and scientific than maybe expected—it is equal parts creativity, engineering and math. Whatever your background, it’s my hope you gain insight into the creative process.

Fused Glass Sinks: Part 1  

Glass fusing is the process of layering compatible glass together to make a pattern or design. The layered glass is super heated in a special kiln until it melts together, and then cooled slowly to prevent breakage. Glass is sensitive to temperature change and therefore the heating and cooling takes time and has to be done in multiple steps. How much time it takes and the number of steps required is determined by the size and thickness of the project—larger and thicker projects take longer than smaller, thinner projects.

This sink is called Asian Poppy; it’s one of my favorites because the rich color and varied blend of materials make each one unique.

Sinks are made using two separate firing processes, fusing and slumping. Fusing is the process of melting the glass together into a flat disc. The fused disc is then placed on a mold and heated until it slumps into the mold and conforms to its shape. The first step in making a sink is to measure the slumping mold, the fused glass must fit perfectly inside the mold or it’ll slump unevenly. I cut two circles from a sheet of ¼” clear fusible glass to use as the base of the sinks. A strip of 1/8” thick fiber paper is wrapped around the edge to contain the glass and maintain the desired size during heating.  The fiber paper is held in place with copper wire stops pressed into the fiber board kiln shelf.

The clear base is then layered with an assortment of colored glasses mixed with clear. I use mosaic size pieces nipped from sheet glass as well as frit from bottles in course, medium and fine grades until I have the coverage and thickness I want.

The mix is topped with a random scatter of clear glass chunks. These not only dilute the colors and make subtle changes in hue but create spontaneous movement. During the firing process the clear melts first thus causing the colored piece to shift and flow impulsively. It’s this simple addition that elevates the finished artwork to a higher level of sophistication.

Lastly, I add stringers, spaghetti size threads. They break up the rock-strewn look by adding a strong linear quality to the pieces. 

The assembled glass is fired using a customized firing program run by a digital controller on the kiln. My firing program has 8 segments. It slowly heats the glass to 1450 degrees, holds it there for 10 minutes than at a measured rate gradually brings it back down to room temperature. The whole process takes about 24 hours.

Opening the kiln the next day is like unwrapping a present, you have hopes and expectations but are always surprised. Hopefully, the surprise is a good one.

Sleeping Kilns

Stop back by next week to see the outcome.

Till then stay warm,

Lisa 

Art Work

Over the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed exercising my creativity outside of glass. During the holiday break we dug out the chop saw and built a custom tack box to store my daughter’s horse supplies. When the dust settled, the studio was in need of a serious cleaning. Afterward, the studio looked so good we took the clean-up a step further and painted the worn table tops with a fresh coat of paint. That inspired another painting project: I salvaged barn wood and painted horse themed designs on them for a fund raiser. Working with the different mediums was a welcome departure from glass, but only for a little while. Now, I’m craving the exhilarating satisfaction I get from creating in glass. So this week, I’m really looking forward to making four sinks to fill orders and designing new project samples to share with students taking my classes in Las Vegas in April. I hope you’ll forgive me for not writing more, but I’m a little distracted—a dazzling sheet of dichroic glass and fourteen kilns are expecting me in the studio.

Get creative,

Lisa

Take a Seat!



Photo credit Steve Widoff 

 Get fired up for the fusing time of your life!

Time is running out to sign up for your dream class! After catering to everyone else this holiday season isn’t it your turn to be nurtured, get inspired and just have fun? Join me and only three other glass fusing artists February 5-8 for Fused Sinks & More, an intense 4-day workshop. Get creative in the roomy open-air studio. Enjoy personal one-on-one instruction and making lasting friendships while filling fourteen kilns with innovative projects!

Only one seat remaining. Register online at www.lisavogt.net, shop, classes.

I look forward to seeing you in class,

Lisa