Boro News Newsletter - Northstar Glassworks
Transcription
Boro News Newsletter - Northstar Glassworks
Boro News Newsletter July / August 2005 ISSUE 32 Photography and Layout by: Bettina Hajagos Written by: Jesse Kohl and Bettina Hajagos Questions? Call Toll Free 1-866-684-6986 or visit us on the web at www.northstarglass.com Gathering 2005 Race-horses stand aside – Kentucky is a hotbed of torch activity this summer! July marks the start of the Derby Parade – hats decorated with blown beads by some of the world’s hottest glass bead-make rs. The annual ISGB Gathering is taking place in Louisville, Kentucky July 28-31. This three-day event includes the Derby, a soft-glass Flame-Off, and the Silly Bead Contest, to the theme of Kentucky Fried Beads. Beads from the Derby Hats and Flame-Off will be sold in a silent auction on Saturday, with proceeds going to ISGB educational programs. Lauri Copeland, Doni Hatz, and Jesse Kohl will be representing the borosilicate community with demos and workshops throughout the eve n t . Lauri Copeland’s class will focus on the luminous qualities of boro, while Doni Hatz teaches students to m a ke hollow beads, filigrana canes, and marbles. Jesse Kohl – who is also manning the Northstar booth during the weekend – will be teaching the John Burton method of bead-making while sharing his knowledge of Borocolour® patterns and color chemistry. See you there! For more information, visit http://www.isgb.org Artwork by: FIGURE 1: The Wanderers – unique color scheme. Cara Spangler Leilani Glass We at Northstar are a committed team of skilled craftspeople who strive to make the highest quality and most diverse color palette on the market. Many of our staff are lampworkers themselves, who through their glassworking experience impart their knowledge in the making of better color. One sentiment shared by all at the company is the excitement of seeing beautiful objects created with our color. A fine example of an artist whose work explores the uniqueness of the borosilicate palette is Cara Spangler of Leilani Glass in Oceanside, CA. Cara has had an artistic flare since childhood and has involved herself in many different avenues of artistic mediums, from acting, to stage production, to ceramics, and curre n t ly glass. Cara explains, “Glass, especially borosilicate, is an excellent medium with which I can explore my creativity and share it with the world. My favorite things about working with glass are the beautiful liquid qualities and the rich and vibrant color palette.” What is clearly evident in Cara’s beads is her attention to detail. Her beads are cleanly formed and her control over the color is excellent. Cara says, “The magic of borosilicate color is what has drawn me; I have been so intrigued by colors in nature since my youth.The colors I can achieve with boro are so similar to colors in the gemstones and minerals that have continued to keep me fascinated and inspired. Colors you might find in nature, such as the colors of a seaweed forest, of a rainforest waterfall with bright pink plumeria trees blooming beside are often found in my beads.” Cara notes, “I do not consider beads my sole artistic venture. I am always thinking of new things to make, and in the future I plan on exploring a multi-media approach.” We look forward to seeing more. To view Cara’s artwork, visit her on eBay. Her eBay ID is Leilani_Glass. FIGURE 2: Liquid Desert Sky – NS-44 Caramel, NS49 Double Amber Purple, NS-13 Amber Purple, NS-09 Yellow, and NS-34 Extra Light Yellow FIGURE 3: In Forest Currents – NS-15 Turquesa, NS-09 Yellow FIGURE 4: She Lies – NS-91 Nija, NS-87 Garnet Dark, and NS-34 Extra Light Yellow FIGURE 5: Truth in Moons – unique color scheme. Artwork by: Jesse Kohl FIGURE 1 The largest vessel of the three is 2.5” in height. These pieces were made by coiling a layer of NS-89 Nile over a base coat of NS-81 Blue Caramel. NS-91 Ninja and NS-43 Rust were trailed over the surface to create the organic effect. FIGURE 4 Detail of Fig. 2.The solid lid has a clear stopper, which is slightly oblong, creating the ‘locking’ effect. I have always had a fascination with small ceramic jars and urns with intricate handmade, fitted lids. Most glass urns and jars that I have encountered are often fitted with wood or cork stoppers. Having a lid of the same material is aesthetically pleasing and crafting one is a worthy technical pursuit so I decided to give glass lids a try. There are numerous means of going about this process. For larger vessels, blown lids are most viable for size and weight considerations. For vessels of a more modest size, such as those pictured in this newsletter, solid lids are more facile. There are several ways to make a well-fitted lid. The first that I tried involved working the lid in with silicon carbide grinding compound. This method is identical to the fitting of ground glass stoppers, and while it does produce a good seal, it is labor intensive. The method that I finally settled on to make a ‘locking’ glass lid involved shaping the lip of the urn and the plug that sat in it. By making both the lip and plug slightly oblong, the lid can be inserted into the lip of the urn and twisted clockwise or counterclockwise approximately thirty degrees until it is locked in place (see Fig. 4). With relative ease, a good fit can be made. By no means is the urn hermetically sealed, but if done meticulously, the lid can safely hold the urn itself. Aside from the technical design elements, these pieces demonstrate some of the many possibilities that the Northstar Exotics and earthtones possess. Note the ceramic quality this family of color produces. The three urns pictured in Fig. 1 were created by overlaying NS-89 Nile on a solid base coat of NS-81 Blue Caramel.The surface was trailed with NS-91 Ninja and NS-43 Rust. The urn pictured in Fig. 2 was made by encasing a solid base coat of NS-81 Blue Caramel in NS-29 Red Exotic. The surface of the urn was trailed with NS-54 Star White, NS-81 Blue Caramel, and NS13 Amber Purple.The urn shown in Fig. 3 was created by encasing a base coat of NS-44 Caramel with a layer of NS-28 Blue Exotic. The surface of the urn was trailed with NS-83 Skyline, NS-81 Blue Caramel, NS69 Green Amber Purple, and NS-89 Nile. Both the urns pictured in Figs. 2 and 3 were flame struck and flame annealed.The key to achieving a bright metallic finish with the Exotics is to work them in an extremely oxidized flame until the piece is completed. If the flame is adequately oxidizing, the worked Exotics should retain the original color of the rod. Only upon b athing them in a reducing flame should the surface come alive with brilliant metallic hues. If the Exotics are reduced as the piece is being worked, too much metal can deposit on the surface, the result of which can cause a dull matte gray color.To strike the Exotic, simply bathe it in a bu s hy, superreducing flame ‘till the piece barely glows.Take it out of the flame and examine it. Repeat the process until the desired hue is achieved. For additional information about applying and working the Exotics, refer to our past Newsletter issues. [See issues 1 and 18] Keep it hot, Jesse FIGURE 2 3” tall, the vessel was made by layering NS-29 Red Exotic over a base of NS-81 Blue Caramel. NS-54 Star White, NS-81 Blue Caramel, and NS13 Amber Purple were trailed over the surface. FIGURE 3 3.75” tall. Not visible in the photograph, this vessel has an iridescence reminiscent of an oil slick due to the metal deposits on its surface. The base color is made by coiling NS-28 Blue Exotic over NS-44 Caramel.The vessel was then trailed with NS-83 Skyline, NS-81 Blue Caramel, NS-69 Green Amber Purple, and NS-89 Nile. Northstar T-shirts Now available! Northstar t-shirts in four adult sizes (S, M, L, XL).These “tees” are available in Northstar colors NS-76 Onyx and NS-01 Cobalt for $12.00 each. They will not be available from your distributor, so call us at (866) 684-6986 or email us at [email protected] to get yours today!