Dichro Sparkle: Wings of Peace

 These tallit clips are my gift to a fabulous young teen. Their parsha is Noah. Their tallit contains all the colors of a rainbow and a silvery dove that wraps its wings around the shoulders . This fabulous young teen designed it with the help of another remarkable and fabulous soul, silk artist Diane Fredgant. I don't hav permission to share the tallit design yet.

The dove is of course a rather universal sign of peace. In the story of Noah, a dove is sent from the ark to retrieve a leaf to indicate that the land was emerging from the flood waters. Wings of peace....shalom!

The simple design of these clips is accentuated by the use of silver dichroic glass. Due to the nature of dichroic glass, the colors will flash to a pinkish or sometimes soft blue hues. Nothing fancy- simply carrying the message of peace complimenting the message of rainbow colors...the universal acceptance of all humans. This young teen understands the importance of carrying this message forward! Mazal tov!!!!!

More Garden Stakes!

 

….and yet again, I am delinquent in posting. I still haven’t finished the commission piece I started some time ago. I hit a wall and had to let it go for a bit.Then there were travels...and then more travels!     I did have a crack at cleaning up my studio....I made some progress but I also had to devote my spare time to making more garden stakes in anticipation of Portland’s first Jewish Festival on the banks of the Willamette River. It was a great success and I am pleased that I had the good fortune to sell well. Pictured above is my newest Gnome stake. He was the first to sell. Below are a couple others I made..

Tomorrow I renew my efforts to address the needs of my commission. I’ll rework some of the pieces that frustrated me and beat down the “wall” that I hit. It’s a triptych and everything has to be an exact fit. I’ll also make an effort to work at organizing my studio for 15 minutes before I work on my glass. I will get there!

Where Did the Time Go?

 Yikes!

I haven't posted since May! My travels continued with a trip to Berkeley to visit my son, DIL, and, granddaughter...and then we all went to Hawaii (Kona) for a week. We also managed to steal away to Rockaway Beach for 5 nights, joining a most wonderful family that rents a retreat center. I think this might have been our twentieth year of Beach Week! 

Lots of B'nai Mitzvah celebrations also happened between April and July. I'm still working on the project I started months ago. I think I lost a little of my mojo. The studio is a bit of a mess and my attempts to clean it up have reintroduced me to the attention deficit I manage every time I attempt to create organization. 

Anyway, I will resume posting on a more regular basis...I will be able to show some progress in my glass creations by the end of next week. 

If you have any suggestions for how to get past my distracted attempts at getting the studio pulled together, let me know!

Hello London!

There's a great reason I haven't been posting. I've been traveling. My husband and I travelled to the UK with another couple. Our trip began in Bath....AAAAAH!!!!!  Bath is a quaint British town complete with hot springs. This is THE BEST WAY to conquer jet lag! After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we went to the THERMAE SPA where we spent two hours in different pools, saunas, and steam baths!

We spent a few days there walking, taking in the sights, touring an old Jewish Cemetery and adjusting to the lay of the land. The main purpose of our trip was theater, so after a beautiful drive through the Cottswolds we spent a night in Stratford and took in our first play. 

London was next on the itinerary. We moved into an Airbnb apartment and settled in for 9 nights. We toured museums and marketplaces, took in 6 more plays and a classical concert in an old church. 

It was a fantastic trip and I feel renewed and inspired!

I have a couple more trips coming up in short order...and then I shall resume my glass work.

Getting Closer!

 

Traveling has occupied a good bit of my time...as did Passover, it's been a couple weeks since I worked on this and now that I am back, I have other more tedious tasks (like housework!)

I have a lot of things scheduled in the coming 6 weeks...so this project is on hold. I will finish cutting out the pieces and then build a glass frame around this before it visits the kiln.

I'll post about my other exploits soon...but updates on this glass probably won't appear until mid June. Now that I've written that, I feel like I might be able to sneak some work in before June....We'll see!

Another Podcast!

 I was so surprised to get an email from Rabbi Josh Rose, asking if I would consent to a podcast interview.

So this is my humble announcement of self promotion. You can find the interview at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qATXY5ca4bU

Rabbi Josh does an amazing job of engaging the interviewee in dialogue. Yes, it was an interview, but it felt like we were having a conversation. I am grateful to him for putting me at ease.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, Rabbi Josh has entire series of interviews that are fascinating. I've listened to several and plan to eventually view them all. You can find the series by going to youtube and searching for:  The Genesis: Conversations on Jewish Arts&Culture or go to @TheGenesisJewishPodcast.

I'm a subscriber now....how about you?

Know When to Take a Break

 

Can you hear my big sigh? Peacock blue is more brittle than the other colors I have been cutting. Piece #23 did not break on the score line. If you look closely just above the pattern piece #18 you can see where it was scored. SIGH! It's the first piece to break, which isn't terrible. I have more glass AND, this was the first piece out of about 25 pieces that broke. 

That said, experience has taught me that when glass starts to break....WALK AWAY! So I did!

I will take a breath (maybe 2) and then I will go back to cutting....tomorrow! Wish me luck!

"Striking" Glass

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 Here's an early shot of the triptych in process. What you see appears to be blue glass but if I process it correctly in the kiln it will "strike" violet. SO Awesome! (I was going to say, so 'cool' but .... cool is a relative term in the world of fused glass!)

Striker glass is a glass that when heated properly will shift color. If I don't process it correctly it will remain blue but might also develop some brown spots! YUCK!

According to Bullseye glass, "Some gold-bearing striking glasses, like this one, should be fired with a 2 hour hold at 1225°F during the initial stages of the firing cycle. If fired without this hold, they may not strike at all, or they may strike but appear spotty and have a blue-brown cast, as opposed to the desired target color. Know Your Gold Hold."

I'm going to do a test run first to see if I can get the color I am looking for, while continuing to cut my pieces.  

If you look closely at the photo you'll see numbers and initials. The initials represent the color of glass and the numbers allow me accurate placement of each piece (matching with he master pattern.) SB means Sky Blue, PB= Peacock Blue.....etc.

I'm about 25% complete in terms of getting all the pieces cut out. I'll have a bit of grinding and then cleaning to do ... and then there is placing the border on each piece before each piece goes into the kiln separately.  More about the border later!

Cutting Up

 As with most projects, the concept needs to be developed, thought through, and then designed. For the triptych, I wanted something flowing and calm. It's going into my Rabbi's office and it will hopefully be a visual piece that hides some of the parking lot view that sits just outside the windows.  Since the office space is used for counseling, teaching, planning and "generic" rabbinic work, it needs to offer the Rabbi and visitors a sense of peace and tranquility. An additional consideration is that there is another art piece (blown glass) on the wall, so my colors need to work with it.

I enlisted the help of a friend who draws with ease and thus, a master pattern was created. Together we worked on colors, making sure the ribbons of color flow accurately from panel to panel. A quick trip to FedEx allowed me to make a set of copies to cut up. The originals are set out under the clear glass to guide my placement. 

Each piece is labeled with a number and a color coding...example:

SB *12 means sky blue piece, 12 and the asterisk means it flows to another piece and I should make sure it lines up.

All my violet glass pieces are cut out and placed. I'll probably need to grind a few edges, but I won't know that until neighboring pieces are finished. Today, I will return to the studio to work on Sky Blue.

Saw Woes Resolved....Onward!

 Sometimes we are at the mercy of our tools! I love my Taurus ring saw....but it does require care and maintenance. That is not my strength! 

Thankfully my husband is willing to replace belts, blades, grommets...and more. In addition to all these replacements, it turns out I needed new ball bearings...so during the down time I had, I scrubbed out the minuscule particles of glass dust that seemed to also have an impact on the belt.   Phew! much to my relief, all is repaired and the saw is working. 

Onward....the triptych awaits!

I'm on a Podcast!

 I had hoped to update you all on my progress with the triptych I began...but alas, my Taurus ring saw needed a new belt....and then I realized it could use a new blade....and then I realized that all the grommets also should be replaced. No problem. I had all those parts...or so I thought. In replacing the tiny grommets used to stabilize the blade, I discovered that the ball bearings were damaged.... So I await the arrival of ball bearings.... 2 for $7 plus a $10 shipping fee. NO COMMENT!

So instead I offer you a humble bit of self promotion.  I don't know why I was invited to be interviewed...but it was a fun and unique experience. Thank you Rockne Roll, editor of the Portland Jewish Review for this opportunity. Interested? you can find the interview at:

Eddy Shuldman Podcast

NEW PROJECT: JUST GETTING STARTED!

 A Triptych of flowing colorful glass ribbons is on the horizon!

It's a commission of sorts...a combination of a requested gift and my donation. 

Step 1: Created a master pattern . I called in the services of a dear friend who kindly and masterfully drew the ribbons across three sheets of paper.  √

Step 2: Pick out potential glass colors, making sure I have enough glass in stock to cover it all! √

Step 3: Assign colors to the pattern √

Step 4: Run to the print shop and get a full size copy of the pattern. I'll use one as the master and the other will be cut up and glued to the glass so I can make accurate cuts.

There was a Pre-step which involved other people (friends of the recipient) creating a black mosaic border for the piece. In this way, the community of friends all had a literal hand in the gift. The border mosaic will need some slight adjustments but for the most part, it's done! √

Truth be told, I started this process awhile ago only to learn that the colors I selected wouldn't work! Other obligations arose and so finally.....finally, this project is underway.  Step 4 happens today!

I'll be documenting the project routinely...at least, that's my optimism at work! We'll see!

Stay tuned!

Self-Promotion

 I was recently invited to talk about Jewish art, ORA, and some of my glass efforts on a podcast hosted by Rockne Roll of the Portland Jewish Review.

Here's the link:https://rss.com/podcasts/jewishreviewpdx/2541490/

I thought I would be more nervous, but Rockne really made me feel comfortable and by doing this in person, it felt more like a conversation than an interview....anyway, if you are interested, please feel free to tune in.

Latest Project

 I haven't posted in awhile...so what else is new?....!

I've been working on an erev Shabbat prayerbook project that features the artwork of residents of Rose Schnitzer Manor.

The prayer book makes its debut tonight.

Here a re a few examples of the gorgeous art that is included in the book:

Blast From the Past

I just discovered this post that apparently was left in draft form. When I first started working in glass it was stained glass. This was a window I made ...about 35 years ago in trade with a friend for some tile work. I'll post some more of my old stained glass work in the next few weeks. I think I got the better deal but I realize that his handy work was his art and in many ways a gift of his talent. Although my gift to him was made from a pattern, it too was a labor of love. I didn't know then that my passion for glass would grow and that fusion would capture my heart.

My Last Seder Plate

 My seder plate mold dropped off the shelf....oops!

At first I was seriously bummed. I love making seder plates. Now I have decided to work with a ceramic artist to create a new mold (maybe two?) that will allow me to go in some new directions.

The last seder plate I made. It was a comssion for a seder plate. a matzah tray, and a yahrzeit candle holder

I have several projects lined up before I can get back to  seder plates. Some don't involve glass, so it may be awhile before I can post again. 

It's the holiday season...so sending out good wishes to all for whatever holidays you celebrate!

May the New Year bring us all much joy!

I'm back in the Studio!

 

After so many months of recovery, I am finally back to working in my studio.

I have a couple of big projects waiting for me, but I wanted to launch into my work with some projects that were more playful. Sitting down is not the best position for me when cutting glass so I wanted to do smaller projects that limited how much time I spent standing.

These are my newest garden stakes....something to add a little joy outside. Both sold right away, so I will make a few more before starting the tryptich I have been planning. More about that in my next posting.

It's Been a "FUN" Few Months

 This is a picture similar to my second new knee. It's been quite the summer leading into fall.

I'm still not healed...that will take a little more time...but I am slowly getting back to the studio. There's an upcoming Winter Marketplace and a sizable commission looming large.

Stay tuned! When I have new items, I promise I will post....but it will be a month or so.

Thanks for following me!

One-handed fused glass- Tzedakah Box

 I'm working one-handed since I dislocated my elbow and gave myself a call fracture. With some commissions due, I had no choice.

My wonderful husband was kind enough to move large sheets of glass for me and hold things in place when I needed help...but I found I could get the work done...I just had to slow down and think through every step.

One of the commissions I had was to craft a tzedkah box (like a piggy bank for charity.) I ended up fusing the Hebrew letters to the face and then copper foiled and soldered the rest. I somehow failed to capture the beautiful marble I glued to the top as a handle.

Min Ha-Metzar: Out of the Narrow Places

 Darn it! I dislocated my elbow and gave myself a little fracture. I won't bore you with the details.

Anyway, when last I posted, I was fusing hundreds of blobs. I finished that before I became a one-handed glass artist.

This was a commissioned gift. It's called Min Hametzar . From the Narrow Places. It comes from Psalms... the rest of the phrase says:... I called to You, and You answered me.

the rest of the phrase i