Playing with Enamels

Inspired by Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace

This was the first attempt using enamels. The brightly colored canopy is a second layer of BE glass, as well as the door frame in the lower left had corner. That was done with clear glass and powders. After the firing, some black enamel was used to define the different wood planes for the frame, but it isn't visible in this picture.

All the enamel was applied wet, using only water as the medium. 2 firings were required, both to tack fuse temps. Some enamel colors were blended like paint pigments to make a redish-orange, bluish-black and an orangy-yellow. The background blue was not blended, using blue and cobalt blue.

All the background was done in the first firing. The second firing was to add the tables and some additional details.


The purpose of this panel was to cover a big hole made when the on-demand water heater was installed. I put a 2' x 2' hole in the cabinet so the workers could easily install the required, expensive stainless steel venting. Since the water heater is in the kitchen, and the kitchen is in a faux-French look, I thought this would be appropriate. And I do have a watercolor of a Provence doorway, acquired when I was in Nice.

Looking at this in a photo (as well as in person) it could use more color to give it more interest, more depth, and more "punch", but impatience won over and I wanted this in the frame on covering that hole. It's only been...5 years? 6 years?

I may try and do a plate in all enamel to see how that looks.

Monthly Challenge entry - Ornamanet "Revels"

Nothing like waiting until the last minute to get a picture. This ornament was done a few weeks ago, but I didn't get a picture. I finally did it on the last day to enter.

This was the second attempt. When I fired the first one, one side pulled in so I had to recut and fire. This is all BE. The base is BE white. The notes are BE black and BE black stringers, as well as the stright lines.

WRITINGS:

The words are done with Liquid Stringer. I attempted several different things, but not really came out. I'm not really pleased with this, but it was the best of all the attempts.

Some of the attempts I tried, but didn't like the look was to use rubber letter stamps and stamp on the song with pixie dust. I couldn't get the text to "flow" and look right.

I also attempted the same thing with dry enamel and that didn't work.

I also tried to write with enamel that was made into liquid form using gum arabic and another attempt using water. Since the enamel doesn't really stick to the glass like it would to a porous material, it would pool up in areas. I'm assuming this might have been easier if it were a large piece, but this is only about 4" in diameter.

FIRING:

The first 2 were to tack fuse. First the stright lines, then a second firing to add the notes.

Turn on to Lo-starting temp 135 deg

At 1 hr. - increase dial to .5, temp at 635 deg

At 1 hr 30 min - increase dial another .5, temp at 730 deg

At 2 hr - increase .5 (Level 2) , temp at 850 deg

At 2 hr 50 min - increase .5 (Level 2.5), temp at 1040 deg

At 4 hr 11 min - increase .5 (Level 3.0), temp at 1220 deg

At 4 hr 34 min - increase to Level 3.5, temp at 1300 deg

At 4 hr 45 min - temp at 1350 deg. Hold at 1350 deg for 20 min.

At 5 hr 05 min - Turn down to Lo

At 6 hr - turn kiln off.

This same firing schedule was repeated for the second tack fuse firing.

The third firing was for the Liquid Stringer and went to a hire temp. The manuf. recommends 1500 deg, but I took this up to only 1450 deg, holding only 10 minutes. I didn't want to look the raised quality of the notes so I didn't take it up that high. I also didn't want the sides to pull inwards, causing me to start all over again.

Dance dance wherever you may be I am the lord of the dance said he...

Missed the contest

Rules are rules and I forgot to take the pictures of these plates to enter into the monthly challenge. The sad part is that these were done a long time ago. I knew I was going to be on vacation and thought I'd enter these into the contest. I just waited too long to take the pictures.

Summers over!

Wow I never thought I'd be happy for summer to be over. I have my studio back and the weather is starting to come down. This week nothing in the forecast over 90 so that is good.

The Station fire is over 50% contained and no Santa Ana winds predicted. Why does this matter? Because it is so close to home, it has been consuming alot of my attention. Not that my house is in danger, but there are friends who's house's were. And since our workout group consists of some firefighters, there is a deeper connection regarding their safety.

I have ideas going through my head. I've got to put them in my journal before I forget. Then onto cutting and fusing! I'm hoping to post a sketch of my ideas this weekend. Gotta get back to things!

Happy Dance!

I hate this! It's been way too hot (100+) lately to work in the studio. And I'm now sharing it with bf's kids' xbox. But just for the summer and then they go home and the weather cools down.

So many ideas in my head. I need to keep my notebook handy so I can write them down. In a few months everything should be back to a normal schedule so I can work on things.

This piece was done with lots of trials and tribulations! See the earlier posts for failed pieces, but look pretty as a suncatcher in the trees!

This was BE powder. Center is white (not dense white), surrounded by canary yellow. The blue is powder blue.

I used masking tape around the edge so I can build up the powder to about 1/4" thick. Then I used water & gum arabic to "blend" the edges. While very wet, I dragged a wooden skewer outward to blend the colors. Then I blotted it and let it dry completely before full fusing.

First Fusing schedule:
Starting temp 70 deg
Lo for 50 min. Temp at 580 deg. Turn to Level 1
At 1 hr 36 min, temp at 746 deg. Increase to Level 2
At 2 hr 30 min, temp at 1000 deg. Hold at 1000 deg for 15 min
At 2 hr 45 min, increase to level 4
At 3 hr 45 min temp at 1350 deg, increase to Level 5
At 4 hours, 0 min, temp at 1450 deg. Hold at 1450 for 10 minutes
At 4 hr 10 min, turn down to Lo
At 6 hr 16 min, temp down to 1000 deg. Turned Kiln off overnite


RESULT: Originally this looked like an egg, or the center of a flower.

Second fusing: The face is drawn on with glassline, watered down to flow through a kemper tool.

Firing Schedule: Starting temp 72 deg.
Turn to Lo. Malfunction since at 60 min, temp still at 100 deg
Increase to Level 2
Increase levels quickly
At 2 hrs 47 min, temp at 1000 deg. Hold 20 minites
At 4 hr 20 min-temp at 1450 - hold 20 minutes
Turn down to Lo until 1000 deg
Turn off to cool overnight

This was too plain as a medallion, so I fired to BE 6mm purple. Concern about bubbles breaking through the surface since the bottom of the medallion was uneven with hills and valleys.

Added chads around the edge of medallion by using clear fine frit. Needed to ramp up slowly to 1000 degrees. And do a bubble squeeze between 1000-1200 degrees by holding at 1200 for 30 minutes.

Goal was to tack fuse with a rounded edge to the medallion, and to do a bubble squeeze slow ramp.

Firing Schedule:
6/6/09 Turn on to Lo
At 2 hrs 20 min, temp at 800 deg
Increase to Level 2
At 3 hr 15 min, temp at 1000 deg.
Hold at 1000 deg for 20 min (still at Level 2)
At 5 hr 53 min, temp at 1150.
At 6 hrs 21 min, temp at 1200 at Level 3
At 8 hr 0 min, temp at 1325 deg
At 8 hr 18 min, temp at 1300 deg
Turn down to Lo until temp at 1095 deg. (9 hr 10 min)
Kiln then turned off.

RESULT: Good- Did not have bubble breaking through surface. Edge of medallion was not as rounded as I wanted. I should have gone up to 1350 and held there for a longer time.

This piece was made years ago in glass, using all BE glass. The gold is pixie dust, mixed with gum arabic and topped with clear.

The black squares and yin/yang were fired first. Then they were placed on top of the red, along with the stripe of pixie dust that was capped. They were all a partial fuse to keep the shape and dimensions.

The original intent was to hang this in the bedroom. But when I brought this home and took it out of the car, I hit the corner on the door frame of the car and the corner piece broke off. I was going to refuse it on clear, but never got around to it. And I also had the concern about the weight and how I was going to hang this. So it got shoved under the dresser for the past 3 (?) years? It must have been after Dave moved in, but not much afterwards, I think?

So this past weekend, after Dave took out a wall for the patio, to expose a walkthrough to the Japanese zen garden, I decided to hang the piece there. I was thinking I might years ago, but never got to it. But the upcoming Summer Solstice run from our house has prompted me to spruce it up a bit...basically show off some of my stuff just a bit and brighten up some places.

The broken corner piece is now missing. I didn't grind down the edge so it is still sharp. I plan on finding that piece eventually. It wasn't where I put it, so somehow it got moved or displaced. Hopefully not thrown away. If I do find it, I plan on glueing it back with e1000.

This was attached to the cinderblock using a kit from HD for bathroom mirrors. It's nickel-plated steel. I was afraid the plastic mirror holders wouldn't hold up to the UV exposure outside, even though this area doesn't get sun all day.

Since I didn't fuse this, I don't have the kiln schedule. And this piece (13" x 14") is bigger than my kiln to begin with.