Commissions

Much gratitude to my customers who have kindly commissioned me to make fused glass judaica including seder plates, wedding bowls, and smaller items! It keeps me focused and creative.


Tomorrow I will post some new tallit clips. One set will head to colorado and another set will go to a Bat Mitzvah here in pdx.


Stay tuned.....tomorrow!

Three New Torah Adornments

These are the three new Torah Breast Plates I made to complete the set.

I'll spend some time in later posts discussing each individual piece in the set.

I was happy to finish this project- the result of trying to study each book of the Torah and then narrowing down the theme of each to a simple phrase.

From top to bottom, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuternomy.

Our Night in the Elements!

We had a great night at Elements gallery. Estimates run between 225 and 250 guests!


It was a great learning experience and the show continues through the 14th of March.....
19th and Vaughn. A great gallery and glass hot shop.


open daily 1-4.....


Come see my Torah Adornments!


I'll be there on the 11th and 12th. See you there?

See My Work Tomorrow!

click on image to enlarge!

The Avian Spa

Signed, glued and delivered....
My donation to chair affair is a piece of outdoor art. It's a bird bath... Just add water!

What more could a bird ask for than a shallow pond from which to drink and bathe?

Come to the Chair Affair...look at the amazing chairs, and unchairs and bid! One of the finest chairities you'll ever meet!

You'll be glad you did.

More info to come!

CHAIR AFFAIR 2010

Last but not least, I get to put my plan into motion for the chair affair. The Chair Affair is a benefit for the Community Warehouse, one of the finest non profit organizations I have ever seen.

Jewish Arts Month has demanded a lot of my attention and I have sadly been unable to work on my project.

As of 10pm, my glass is in the kiln and hopefully about noon tomorrow I will know whether I will meet the deadline or not.

I posted a picture of the stool I planned to alter in some way.....
so stay tuned. I will post a picture of the transformed piece on Thursday.
Wish me luck!

Getting Ready

Throughout JAM , our art group ORA will be displaying art. We have an exhibit at Elements Gallery and Studio opening First Thursday March  4th. Join us between 5:30 and 9pm  for refreshments and an opportunity to meet the artists. The show will continue through Sunday March 14th. An ORA artist will be available at the gallery  daily between 1-4pm.


We'll also be displaying our work in the MJCC lobby March 7th - 12th. I'm working on some new fused glass pieces for that show.....


But first I also need to get my project for Chair Affair completed.  Busy times ahead!

Unstuck!....and done!

Our jury event was last night. The jury was most generous with me and accepted my submissions.
Thank you !

I'm posting one of the Torah Adornments in process. I struggled with the flames and this renewed effort worked.
There are additional layers of flames on this that lift off the plate. Still not as dramatic as what I saw in my head...but certainly more practical.

Want to see the finished product? Come see all 5 Adornments and more at Elements glass on NW 19th and Vaughn on Thursday March 4th.

check out the JAM website calendar, schedule and blog....lots of great info about Jewish Arts Month!

STUCK

Well, two of the three pieces came out of the kiln looking just like they were supposed to ...but the third...
well...it's pathetic. The color , the shape, the incongruity..AAAAARGH!

I have only myself to blame....I just didn't think it through enough. I have ordered some new dichroic glass which is being made for me and will be ready by Friday...Friday morning I hope! so I can get some work done before Shabbat.

In the meantime, I have more planning and redesign work ahead of me. I won't have time to remake it a third time.....and then there is the fifth and final piece. I started it today  but it needs some of the new glass on order too.

I've cropped the picture so you won't see the total failure of it all. When all five pieces are finished I will see what I can do to salvage this piece ....

Phase 2: "before"

Na-aseh V'snishmah is what the Israelites said to Moses when he told them God had an offer for them (the LAW). They didn't know what they were in for, but having seen a few miracles they knew they were looking at a good deal. They said N-aseh V'nishmah which literally means : We will do and then we will listen. We think that means that they would follow the laws, not knowing what they really meant but that through the doing, they would come to understand. Na-aseh v'nishmah is my journey as I work my way through this series of plates.

For this plate,  I first cut the tablet shape and then split it down the middle. I wrapped these 2 pieces of expensive dichroic glass in newspaper, took several deep breaths and then....smacked them with a hammer...and then I had to hit them three more times because I didn't hit hard enough! It's in the kiln now with plates #3 and 4. Breath holding until tomorrow morning.

I will post the new ones soon. The finished set will hopefully be juried in for the ELEMENTS Gallery show that opens March 4th. ELEMENTS is located on NW 19th and Vaughn. More about that show later.

Phase 1: Torah Adornments

I have various components cut for the JAM Elements Show beginning March 4th.

Phase 1 is fusing a silver irid on black onto clear blanks....should be done by about midnight tonight.

It's a boring picture but this is what is in the kiln right now.

Phase 2 involves layering the various elements I have pre cut.

These are only three of the five pieces as part of my set.

Piece 1 is done and piece five needs some drilling and interior cuts before
I can begin the layering process. It will receive separate treatment.

Stay tuned!

Very cool evening of music

 
Last night I needed a break from all the JAM planning. I gave myself a great treat. I went to  new place in SE Portland in the Sellwood neighborhood called The Woods. It's a new venue for music housed in a former mortuary.

There was nothing dead about that place last night! Tony Furtado plays a mean slide guitar and banjo. He has an ease on stage that makes him instantly likeable. He called numerous guest talents to the stage to lay/sing with him.  One of my favorite local singers, Stephanie Schneiderman was present and added warmth and song to a supportive house.

Sunday night I joined a lot of Schneiderman fans at Jimmy Maks. It was crowded and the audience talked  and talked and talked....grrrrrrr! She was amazing, but a chunk of the audience forgot to pay attention.

Last night, a smaller house (packed none-the-less) was quiet , attentive and appreciative. I felt like I was experiencing a live performance in my living room.  The causal flow of banter from Tony and others, lots of talented guests and the warm melodies and harmonies put out by Stephanie set the tone and created an intimate environment for an amazing evening of music.....the way music ought to be!

My new music discovery  lat night was Scott Law. He is an amazing guitar player who quickly won me over with his incredible ability to jam on songs that were new to him. He is a must see in Portland.

Tony will be at the Woods again on Tuesday the 2nd. I plan to be there. Join me?

How Will I know You Were Here?

This is how to tell me you have an opinion of what you saw here:
At the bottom of any post you'll see the word comments. CLICK on that and you will be taken to a screen that allows you to comment. After that you type in the silly code they give you, hit return and voila....you are no longer a lurker...but a welcome guest!


Leave me a love note or a critique. I'm a big girl...I can take it! Bottom line, tell me you visited so I know someone out there is reading what I post!

Jewish Arts Month Calendar!

It's just this easy....
click on this link    http://www.northwestjewishartists.org/JAMcalendar2010.html
and you will find the JEWISH ARTS MONTH CALENDAR.


You can go to the Jewish Arts Month (JAM) blog to learn more about individual events.
jewishartsmonth.blogspot.com/

I'll be posting there routinely. If these links don't work, cut and paste them into your browser!
  

I'm back in the groove

I am done sulking. The new saw parts and blade have been installed and my intricate hebrew letters are about 1/3 done! I have a timeline that will work if the back-ordered glass comes in within the next 10 days.
It felt so good to finalize my drawings and move forward. I love my saw and I love the shimmering dichro letters I was able to cut today.


I don't have any pictures to post of my work...yet. SO for now, a picture of my ring saw....sigh!

NEW PLAN

Lots of frustration this week.

I have to give up on my plans to build a table for the Chair Affair because they changed their deadline for getting our work turned in. i understand their rationale but in the midst of JAM planning and trying to get my glass made in time for our art show...this is a set back. I will have to reassess what I can realistically get done for them. It's back to the drawing board.

Frustration #2.... the glass store is back ordered on black/silver irid glass I need....and it may not come in for two more weeks. YIKES!....but, I'm working on a solution. I'll be building 4 new pieces simultaneously so I will cut out all the glass pieces I need that doesn't involve the missing glass. When the black irid arrives, it should be a simple matter of cutting it and layering it with my precuts. With luck I will be able to fire at least three of the 4 pieces in a single firing.

Next week is pivotal. If I can get all the parts cut up for my art show pieces, I can shift my focus to the Chair Affair Project. I do have this bar stool I picked up last year from the warehouse.....I had planned to return it when my original plan failed in last year's project. I'm glad I kept it.....hmmmmm....what to do, what to do?

A Fresh Start

I have finished my final sketch and tomorrow I will finally shop for saw parts and the glass I need.
Jewish Arts Month planning has been all consuming and now it is time to get serious about my own art.

I have sooo much glass in stock and of course, the piece I need is the one piece I don't have!
Friday I will buy my challah instead of baking...and will spend the time cutting glass instead.
My plans are ambitious and hopefully I'll be able to post pictures of my progress.

I need to make a tough decision about my Chair Affair Project. It looks like the table idea I had is just too big to make it work this year. I will hold the table top in reserve and perhaps use it next year. With 2 art shows looming in the near future, I need to use my time wisely.

Pre-JAM Slam!

That's our name for the party.
Rumors are spreading that possible city dignitaries may attend.
Hmmmmm....wonder who they're talking about?

We'll be Jammin'

February 24th (time tba)....it's a party and you are invited! Mittleman Jewish Community Center Ballroom in Portland Oregon. This is our Kickoff event for Jewish Arts month.

Lots of artists, actors, musicians...and some special guests. Food, drink, entertainment........More details to follow. Stay tuned!

The NEA is part of our funding!

I was negligent in not posting that the NEA is a part of the generous grant awarded by the Oregon Arts Commission.  Jewish Arts Month aka JAM will begin our fundraising campaign Monday. Hopefully the faith these two agencies have in us will be shared by art lovers in Portland. We're working hard to make this a fabulous festival...and one that will return year after year.