Block

After the next gather comes the blocking. We have a great egg shape from Walter Evans. I think this is the 3.5 inch block. You may want to marver just a bit before the block just to cool the sides and have a bit more control. The egg will tend to make the glass fold back onto itself more then a round one, at least for me.  

Gather, Marver, Gather

Do the gather over the flower. Marver into a cone and then into almost a tube. Watch the size here. Let glass drip off so as to not be too large.
Roy has got the door in this picture.  

Heat and Marver

Just a bit. You don't want to close up the indention from the stem making but you have to get the shape back into it alright.  

Another angle

Here you can see the movement into the pipe better. This helps to create the stem of the flower which will be white while leaving the outside petals in blue.
I did this one in a transparent. Not sure if opaque is better or not.  

Poke the petals

Here wer are poking in the petals. Aim right for the middle of the flower (the white center). Push forward in and then curve into pipe. 

Flower Pickup

marver after the gather into a cone shape to cool the pipe end of the glass. Not too cool or the color will not pick up. Come down on the circles, 1, 2, and 3.
Then Heat gently. Marver, heat and marver to maintain control and no twist.  

Gather

At the furnace. Making a gather over the leaves.
More to come tomorrow as it is late...
Oh yes. Center, Keep it Centered. 

Leaves of Grass

Not as good as Whitman but what the heck.  

Leaf

Pinching the leaves. Notice the tool. $2.95 at Steve's Wholesale. In the glassblowing world however these puppies are going for $54.95. I will have a bunch for sale at GAS. Get in line. 

Green Leaf Pickup

Picking up the leaves 

3 flower layout

Here is the color layout for the 3 flower paperweight 

How To

After trying Gnat's bowl (first one broke, second two did not get the lines deep enough) and the Paperweight described by the Sac Man I thought I would post one of my new favoriates.
Three Flower Paperweight.
Layout
Green on marver laid out with three spokes
Three circles of color. #1 or #0 frit seems good but most of what we have is #2 so that is good too. Circles are about the size of a nickel. push open the centers with a small pick or tweezers. Fill center with another color. (to fill get a small piece of paper with color on it and make into a tube like the Buddhist monks who make the sand paintings.)
1. Small gather on 3/4 inch punty
2. . pick up green on tip, melt in.
3. tweeze green sideways to make leaves. Cool
4. Gather
5. pick up circles of color. 1 - third turn between each pick up. Try to line up with or between leaves.
6. Melt - marver punty end to straiten up piece
7. At the bench take thin ice pick. Poke into the circles. Aim for the middle. Go in strait and then push down to the punty.
8. Melt to shape but not to seal the hole made by the ice pick because you want a bubble there.
9. Marver or block to shape
10. Gather and let excess drip off.
11. Marver or block, cool.
12. Gather, this one is important to get enough distance between the surface and the flower. It is not necessary but really seems of benefit. If size is too large just don't worry about this fourth gather.
13. Shape. Round is okay, Egg shape is nice if you have an egg block. Or maver and hand shape.
14. Jack. Heat. jack, Shape. heat, jack cool.....
15. knock off.

Let me know what you think.
Keep it centered.

aboatman - Shows

aboatman - Shows
Here is a listing of art festivals I have found on the net. Some good stuff. Some not.
Keep it centered.

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis

The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Check out this great site. All about the basics of the glassblowing process.
Keep it centered.

Opening a piece

Working at the bench. Jacking open a piece. Good stuff.
Keep it centered my friends.  

Do Not Procrastinate Happiness

Do Not Procrastinate Happiness
Check out the Sky Chair. I just ordered one for the studio to see how it will work for people coming in to watch. One good thing is there is nothing touching the floor. I do hate to move chairs to sweep.

Image Search

Can you find the blown glass heart in the image below? This is a great photo by Mary. I love the composition. Everyone needs a heart for their garden.
We had a great show in Edmond. Thank you to everyone who came out to support the arts this weekend. Without you all what we do would not be possible. Thank you for all the help in the booth too.
Keep it centered!
 

Coupon! Save Ten Percent!

 

MAY FAIR

MAY FAIR
Out and about this weekend? Check out the Norman MAy Fair. This is an event not to be missed. Great Art, Great Music, Great Weather. We will be exhibiting at Norman and at the Downtown Edmond Arts Festival this weekend. Visit Brent in Norman and Andy in Edmond. I hope to see everyone there!

Blowing

Brent is blowing a vase. Standing on the bench so the piece will strech a bit as he blows. He heats. Strech. Heat. Blow.
Notice he does keep it centered. 

Google Calendar

Google Calendar
I created a google calendar. This should allow anyone on the net to see our schedules for upcoming shows. Try it out.
Thanks
Keep it centered.

Calley at Work

Our friend Mary Hines came out and got some great photos of Calley at work and made this awesome collage.
Keep it Centered. 

Purple Shell

The opaque cover was great. A smooth strait line all the way around. The transparent did have some stray bubbles come through tho. I am not sure where they came from, perhaps the pickup for the color bar had some small bubbles in it.  

The bucket of broken dreams

This is the item that most glassblowers do you want you to see. The tragic and untimely demise of perhaps the most beautifully colored shell I have made. Alas. Some things are just to perfect for this world it seems.  

Classes

I just finished up the intermediate level class offered at Blue Sage Studios through the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. It was a great session. Five weeks for five hours on Saturdays. They did great. It is really something to see the progress being made. Good stuff.
Keep it centered.

Answers to Questions

The Enclamo piece is just the way you described on the comments Gnat. It makes it very easy to creat the look of the enclamo without having to go through the knock of the the pieces. You get a good result.
Th Gott Shelf liner is great. the Graphite is a good quality and it works well. If you have pieces with jagged bottoms it can tear but with care it lasts a good long time. I have been very pleased. You can get it at Alan's site www.northernheat.ca or Hub consolidated glass stuff. If you call Alan tell him I said hello and I do recommend the 10" x10" pieces instead of the large piece of graphite. This is also a bit better on shipping.
On the new blocks. I have not yet made an order. Guy is making a trough style. I think this looks really good if you were making tumblers. I plan on ordering and trying one out soon.
Keep it centered.

Peek a Boo

Opening the lehr (this is like a kiln) to get the first glance at the mug and a cool twisty spiral vase. Notice the little bits of color we heat up for lip wraps or things of that nature.  

When in Rome

This is a roman foot in the process of being formed. It creates a special foot on the piece. It involves really tapering the bubble and thinning the glass at the base and then jacking while blowing and then sucking out the bubble to get the foot to seal against the base of the vessel body.
Keep it Centered my friends.  

Enclamo Mugs

Here are a couple of Enclamo style mugs we made with Bruce. Very cool indeed. This is really a neat way to get some cool effects. Just blow a tube. Blow out the tip. Drop a solid piece of color on top. blow it out. Add a clear top. Transfer. Close the bottom. Encase in clear. Blow to size. Transfer to open the lip. Add a handle. Easy Peazy. 

Crafts : Wood / Glass : Glass Blown Flowers : Home & Garden Television

Crafts : Wood / Glass : Glass Blown Flowers : Home & Garden TelevisionNice Flower creation tutorial but HGTV no less.

Blue Sage Studios - Art Festivals on the Schedule

Blue Sage Studios - Art Festivals on the Schedule This is what our summer show schedule looks like thus far. It may be a very busy summer.

Jack in the Pulpit

Bruce made a Jack in the Pulpit today. It is areally wicked cool. We had a great glass session. I made a great mug. I hope to get a photo of it tomorrow when it comes out of the lehr.
Keep it Centered! 

The Glory Hole

This is our Glory Hole. It is really very nice. Liz D. drew the Squid on the rolling yoke heat shield. Helps us to remember to go into the heat. 

Stadelman Furnace

We charged Spruce Pine Batch on Thursday night. Thanks for all the help fellows in getting the furnace ready for the charge. It was beutiful and ready for Saturday class. Great glass! Great Furnace.  

Kristine at the bench Jacking

One of our students from the Saturday Intermediate Glassblowing Class offered through the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is at the bench with her piece jacking in the neck line.  

TravelOK.com: Discover Oklahoma Travel Show

TravelOK.com: Discover Oklahoma Travel Show
Jenifer Reynolds came to the studio a few weeks ago to try her hand at glass blowing. Now if you don't know Jenifer Reynolds she is like the queen of Oklahoma televisioin. The Discover Oklahoma show on location at Blue Sage Studios airs on Saturday! Thank you Oklahoma!
Oh yes, be sure to Keep it Centered.

Hot Block Tools

Hot Block Tools
There is a new block maker in town. Looks like Gary has a good product line going. Anyone trying them yet? Drop us a line.
Keep it centered.

Art of Fire - Our Emerging Artists

Art of Fire - Our Emerging Artists
Many thanks to our friend Bruce. He has been most gracious in his teaching and grace at the studio over the past week. It is indeed a pleasure. We will be working on Thursday evening if anyone is interested in dropping by the studio and watching us work. Last week 12 folks showed up to watch and participate in a marathon glass blowing session that went until midnight. Great fun is to be had by all and as Bruce says, "Find yourself some fun!"
Keep it centered.