Taking Care of Business

Hiking Red Rock Canyon.
In the upper middle of photo 3 you'll see a faint hand print that dates back hundreds of years.

My Lucky Day!

I landed in picturesque Las Vegas about 10:00 am. It was too early to check into my hotel so I stopped by the outlet mall. Oh boy! It was my lucky day. They were having a BIG sale!

A Star is Born!

  

Okay, not really. But, I have to confess shooting the video was a lot of fun. It’s not everyday you get to share your humble beginning and then have it readily assessable to share with everyone, everywhere. It’s amazing.

Big thanks to photographer Steve Widoff for his patience, attention to detail and his role as artistic director.

Now on YouTube

Lisa Vogt Glass Artist

http://youtube.com/dhOifd7wukk

Glass Craft and Bead Expo

April 3 - 7, 2013

Book Signing

April 3-7 Las Vegas, NV

See you in Las Vegas,

Lisa

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

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