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!
Artist Website www.LisaVogt.net
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhOifd7wukk
Facebook www.Facebook.com/LisaJVogt
YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhOifd7wukk
Facebook www.Facebook.com/LisaJVogt
Twitter https://twitter.com/lisajvogt
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
Register
here: https://www.glasspatterns.com/glass-patterns-quarterly-store/product/1192-upscale-fusing-with-lisa-vogt-april-24-2018.html
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.
