It's taking shape....!

top two floor additions (both reading rooms!!!)

kiln room with an outside door (eventually!)

Construction Back On Track!

The bottom level of our addition is framed and ready for walls.
After several delays, we are making good progress and soon my kilns will have a new home! 

NEW SHOW OPENS JANUARY 10!

The artwork is up and the labels will be attached shortly!
Sorry...no preview pix!

Featured artists: Michelle Katz, Robert Brenner, Jeff Israel, Glenn Decherd.....and me!

Congregation Neveh Shalom is our host for 2 months.
Come to an evening celebrating Shabbat, music, and art!
It all begins at 7:30pm. If you come early, you can spend more time with the art!

8831 SW Peaceful Lane..... Services will be led by Cantor Debbie Bletstein and accompanied by Ed Kraus & Klezmocracy. Special Guest performer Beth Hamon will round out the program.

I'll have a quick minute to talk about our art show. Join us for cookies, coffee, and schmoozing and take a look at some extra pieces of art we will have on display just for the evening.

See you there?

FINALLY!!!!!

Concrete arrived this morning......I couldn't get close enough to photograph the process and well.....because of rainy weather, everything is under wraps!

All our permits are in and with this pad poured, we will finally see the framing begin, which will create a home for my kilns....!
With a bit of luck, that will start on Friday after the concrete has cured.
                    I'll post photos of the progress soon!

STRUGGLING WITH IDENTITY!

That's the name of the new show I'll be in- opening January 10th 2014 @ Neveh Shalom
2900 SW Peaceful Lane.

PDX Live is an amazing Friday Night Service featuring Cantor Deborah Bletstein. On the 10th guest musician Beth Hammon will also perform along with the fabulous pdx band: Klezmocracy.

ORA artists are featured at each PDX Live. This show will remain in place through March 2nd.

STRUGGLING WITH IDENTITY will feature artists Glenn Decherd (ceramics), Michelle Katz (painting), Robert Brenner (photography), Dr. Jeff Israel (stained glass), and me!

Each of us has a different take on the theme...it will be fun to see how this all comes together.

We'll all be there to show our work and welcome questions and conversation about the art and our varied inspirations.

I'll post pix of everyone's work after January 6th.
Most, if not all the work will be available for purchase...just not on Friday night. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Neveh Shalom.

We are indebted to them for their gracious hosting of our art events

It's What I've been Waiting For....but

It's finally warm enough to fire up the kiln....so why am I still not  happy?

I opened the kilns (both of them) only to discover that my shelves need to be cleaned and primed with kiln wash. My hose bibs are shut off so, I need to carry water to the back deck and then start scraping......a very cold endeavor at 39º!...Then the shelves need to dry. 

So today is maintenance day rather than a firing day. I will spend time cleaning and priming shelves and cut some future projects. 

Firing will have to wait until I return home from a family trip.

More lessons in patience! Clearly, it's a journey!

Oh, here's a photo of a chunk of ice from one of my drain buckets!

It's about 5 gallons of frozen sludge water!

I am so excited.....defrosting should happen tomorrow!

The rains have come, bringing warmer weather (It might get into the 40's tomorrow....YAY!)

We've been stuck in the 20's and 30's for the last couple of weeks which means that the kilns can't be started up. I can hardly wait for our construction to resume so my kilns can move indoors!

I am behind, behind, behind!

New items should begin appearing on the blog late next week.

Why Am I not Posting?

I'm not saying my life is in the toilet....but I am spending a lot of time shopping for toilets, sinks, lighting, tile.....

.........the remodeling continues!

New glass in December!

Mayim Chayim: Waters of Life

This beautiful serving dish sold immediately but is a sample of this popular design. I have cut a river (channel) in the top glass and filled it with chips of dichroic glass. The "banks" of the river are outlined in a white gold ink that is baked into the glass.

Another one of these in another color has been commissioned and will go into the kiln tonight.

Candle bridge with frit

This candle bridge sold before I could post a picture!
It's made with striker glass. That means it started out looking like streaky yellow/orange and became red in the heat of the kiln. 

The striping is made from a combination of glass powders and frit. 

Back from the Beach!

It's good to go away and rest.....

and it's nice to be back.

Studio work resumes Sunday!

Glass and Wood!

This is my adventure into combining glass and wood. I'm pretty happy with the results.

I have always been bothered by the incredible waste when I cut glass and have pieces left over that aren't necessarily large enough to use. Glass is expensive, and when I weigh my scraps, I see just how much money I am losing every day!

We're doing some home renovations, so I am also discovering hunks of lumber going to waste.  

So yes, I am dumpster diving...in my own dumpster...retrieving wood scraps. I am excited, energized, and ready to explore this new combination! Some of the wood will become part of my art...and some of the wood will keep me warm this winter!

I only had time to make this one wood/glass combo for the art show this Sunday...but after that, I am going to dedicate some time to my new projects. I have plenty of other new art as well.

Most exciting about all of this is the opportunity to listen to the movement of the glass and the wood. The interplay between the two, the selection of stain, the choices for how else to blend these elements.... the possibilities are simply tantalizing!

It Isn't Always Black or White

Shades of Gray....with a bit of black and white

Come see me Sunday at the Celebration of Art '13

             Mittleman Jewish Community Center

                6651 SW Capitol Hwy- PDX

                              10:30-4:30

* mention the blog and see what you get!

Going Tribal- a new series

The background glass is dark but transparent, iridized PURPLE glass.
The decorative glass on top is the same glass!!!!!

Last week I was at Portland Center Stage to see their current production of Fiddler on the roof. The stage set was perfectly simple....staggered pieces of wood. I was inspired.

Lots of glass artists build squares on squares so I have no illusions of pure originality....but this arrangement called to me...and I answered.

I hope to make several more pieces in various shapes and size...and colors.

Come visit me at the Celebration of Art '13....
          SUNDAY  November 3rd at the MJCC
            6651 SW Capitol Hwy- Portland

*mention this blog and see what you get!

THE PREVIEW !!!!!!!!!!!!

Stop by the MJCC lobby anytime this week to see a few pieces of art....a little teaser for the show Sunday November 3rd .

The lobby is open to visitors during regular hours...you don't have to be a member to visit!

New Batch of Tallit Clips

Getting readyfor the Celebration of Art 2013 at the MJCC

           NOVEMBER 3rd @ the MJCC

6651 SW Capitol Highway- Portland

                              10:30-4:30

            free admission, live music, 
                       deli food too!

Ready For the Kiln

Stage one was full fusing the base glasses. With the addition of glass shards, this is ready to go back in the kiln for a tack fuse.

First stage involved 15 hours in the kiln.
Stage 2 will be roughly 19 hours.
Stage 3 is slumping the disc into a seder plate mold- about 12 hours

Shards of Wedding Glass

Broken shards from a wedding are transformed into a seder plate. 

The couple chose the colors....figs were their inspiration!

Broken Glass! It's a good thing!

You are looking at shards of glass....wrapped in silk. These shards are the remnants from a wedding this summer. Now they are being put to use in a wedding gift to the newlyweds! More coming!

Clips in the kiln

Just getting ready for the Celebration of Art '13.

Looking for a great and unique Bar or Bat Mitzvah gift?
These are some of the new Tallit clips just going into the kiln. After firing, they will will polished to achieve clean edges....they'll then have a 24 hour date with some glue and clips...and then I'll add some nice chains. The Torah shaped clips are quite sparkly featuring dichroic glass. 

The next batch will include magen davids, chamsahs, and pomegranates. My stock has been depleted...I'm looking forward to offering new and unique clips at the COA!

NOVEMBER 3rd 2013 @ THE MJCC 
6651 SW Capitol Hwy- Portland. FREE ADMISSION! Over 25 artists!
Check us out on Youtube! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-X4dExdAjYk&feature=youtu.be