Lisa Vogt Art Adventure Blog

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

It’s No Mystery – 10 Ways to Create Great Artwork

Great fused glass artwork is no accident. It’s meticulously planned, skillfully executed and artistically presented in an esthetically pleasing way. Exceptional artwork is the product of several elements. When combined they engage and captivate the viewer.

These key characteristics are present in all great art. Keep them in mind when designing new work. Apply them when possible, and you’ll immediately see a powerful rise in the quality of your finished art.

How to create great artwork.

1. Design a pleasing composition.

Composition refers to the placement of design elements within the artwork. By placing elements in a triangular fashion, you create wanted tension viewers find irresistible. Unless the pattern is a geometric grid, I avoid having elements in a straight line vertically or horizontally, it lacks fire.

2. Select an appealing color palate.

Pick a color palate and stick with it. This shows artistic planning which increases the continuity of the work. When deciding on colors, I pick a setting and then choose colors appropriate for that landscape. For example, if I select a New England Shore as my setting I’d use soft celery green, medium blue, light amber and earth tones. Whereas, a Caribbean beach setting would call for vivid Amazon green, aqua blue, bright yellow and white.

3. Engage the viewer with a focal point.

I believe all designs even geometric patterns can benefit from having a focal point. A focal point is something of interest that stands out from the background. It anchors the viewer’s eye and engages their imagination longer than the same piece with no focal point. It can be as simple as a high contrast color, a unique shape or an unexpected line.

4. Add visual or physical texture.

Texture invites discovery. It adds a third dimension that amps up the visual intricacy and perceived value of artwork. Include texture and your work will jump off the shelf or wall.

5. Add pattern.

Pattern is a terrific way to dress up basic shapes to make them more unique and appealing. It’s also a great tool you can use to reinforce a specific design theme. For example, a basket weave pattern would be a nice addition to a design featuring bamboo shoots. Likewise, brightly colored straight lines could be used to represent a towel that enhances a tropical beach scene.

6. Combine advanced techniques.

Combining techniques is fun and adds dramatic interest to fused glass art. Even simple applications deliver high impact results. Create several component pieces. Try arranging them in several different ways until one makes each piece more interesting than it was alone.

7. Design dramatic imagery.

Including dramatic imagery is a great way to make art memorable. Give the viewer a solid pictorial subject to digest. It’ll grab hold of them and not let go. Viewers easily connect with recognizable image.

8. Give your work an exciting shape.

Break free from the confines of expected shapes. Color outside the lines. Offer us a fresh new profile. It’s easy to notch or bump out a square. Add a curved edge to a rectangle. Scallop the outside of a circle. Your work will approve.

9. Give your work sculptural form.

This is the single most effective way to elevate your work from craft to fine art. Combine different slumping molds to create a unique freestanding shape all your own. Or build a mold by draping fiber blanket over kiln posts. The possibilities are endless.

10. Follow through with a unique display.

You have a vision for your art. Carry that enthusiasm to the end. Consider making a display stand that contributes to the artwork’s energy and makes it impossible to forget.

In the end, we want to connect with the viewer through our art. We want to stir emotion, deliver a message or fascinate their sense of wonder. Whatever your intention, a well-planned project made with insightful design theories will make your artwork great!

Happy fusing,

Lisa

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Upcoming Webinars and Hands-on Class

Fusing for the Adventurous Webinar

July 24, 2018

https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/product/1211-fusing-for-the-adventurous-with-lisa-vogt-july-24-2018.html

Make a Fused Glass Sink Webinar

August 2, 2018

https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/product/1212-make-a-fused-glass-sink-with-lisa-vogt-august-2-2018.html

Fusing with Frit Webinar

September 20, 2018

https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/product/1228-fusing-with-frit-with-lisa-vogt-september-20-2018.html

Now Registering!

Advanced Glass Fusing 4-Day, Hands-on Workshop

November 6-9, 2018

Gain knowledge! Build confidence! Get inspired!

Join me for this in-depth workshop held in my private studio.

Wesley Chapel, Florida, 4-Day, Hands-on, Class size is limited.

Register here: http://www.lisavogt.net/products.aspx?id=477

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.

Learn at your convenience.

Available here: http://www.lisavogt.net/shop.aspx?id=40

Check out my new writer’s blog.

Lisa J. Vogt

Writer – Instructor – Artist

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

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Finding Inspiration in Unlikely Places

Summer is a wonderful time to enjoy outdoor activities and breath in the beauty of nature. It’s refreshing to be away from my glass studio in environments rich with color, pattern and new scenes. I cherish time cooling off on the water and the exhilaration of hiking in the woods. The outings clear my mind of old design themes, they rejuvenate my spirit and inspire new design ideas.

I may be off work, but my creative subconscious is on duty collecting tidbits that’ll later be integral parts of my new art. I seek exciting new compositions by studying tiny details like the delicate curled shoots of ferns. I imagine the extreme color combinations studying the broad strokes of a spectacular, cotton candy pink sunset. Even familiar settings, seen with renewed artistic curiosity, offer new appeal.

Fairy Tale Forest as seen in Painting with Frit Video DVD

Fairy Tale Forest was inspired by a path I frequently walk in the woods. It’s an enchanted place with specked shade, inviting curves that promise adventure and the musical sounds of nature alive in the brush. Tall pines and century old oaks form a canopy overhead. The cathedral like tunnel makes me feel small, at ease and safe. It’s as if the trees are guarding me with the wisdom of their age. It’s such a magical place, I half expect to see a white unicorn trotting around palmetto bushes.

The truth is the path doesn’t really look like my design. I exercised my artistic license. I designed the art to convey the way I feel, the comfort and joy I have when I’m strolling down the leaf blanketed trail.

I never would have stretched my artistic vision to that extent without the actual experience of walking down that path.

Paradise Bay

Paradise Bay was inspired by a favorite lagoon on a lake. Again, the artwork loosely represents the landscape. It’s really a representation of good times and fond memories of time spent with my family.

River Bottom

River Bottom was inspired by the ditch that lines my street. Really. I was walking one morning and noticed the sunlight shining on the water in the retention ditch on my road. The sun pierced through the clear water down to the bottom where it lit up the tiny green leaves of mossy plants. They sparkled like glitter covered light bulbs. It was so captivating I then noticed some lacey tree leaves suspended in time, and the striking shadows of tree trunks stretching across the placid surface of the water. I thought, this is a beautiful scene, how can I render this in glass?

The project looks simple. You have to see it in person, after hearing the story to really appreciate the true beauty and depth of River Bottom. The take away, the invaluable lesson, is that beauty is all around us. We just have to look for it and then let it inspire us to be creative.

Take it outside!

This summer while you’re exploring beaches, mountains and cities open yourself to discovery. Then, when the artistic spark flares, you’ll have an exciting collection of new ideas to fuel what you fire.