Hello again....
Just me.. Freshly back from New York City!!! The Architectural Home Design Show was once again a feast for the eyes... While talking with Troy Hanson, a the very sweet director of the show, I felt huge sense of rejuvenation in the design world... The show was full of artists vendors and the public. Randi and I got to see some dear friends and we made some fantastic new friends that we can't wait to see again. There were so many artists there with some fantastic work. One artist who stands out each year we are there is Bradley Sells. One of his pieces is to the right. Amazing. Please check out his web site.http://www.bradsells.com/
The show located on 12th ave and 54th st was held at pier 94. The weather was fantastic. Record temperatures...SUN SUN SUN! .
MYKANOS
This sweet piece appropriately named Mykanos...is inspired by the island part of Greece. Looking at it makes you want to jump into the aqua green waters! We are always trying to create these colors that do not truly exist....sometimes that can prove to be a great challenge! and sometimes a big headache! .. Working with colors from Germany and relying on the makers to mix their recipes just right so the colors are the same doesn't always work! .... We are constantly working through these issues.. Keeps you on your toes!
This week we also surpassed a record in the studio! Not one that we are happy about! It took OVER 6 HOURS to make one piece! There is a photo of Randi and George! It will be sent from a phone! The after math.... It can get up to 100 degrees about this time of year... That's a long time to hold a piece non-stop! We are constantly trying to make the Windows spotless!... no bubbles ..nothing in the front of the piece. The process can be very very time-consuming and extremely tiring.... Nice work Randi and George!
Sometimes, we are asked to look at a picture before we make a new design that Randi comes up with....In this case... I smiled as Randi described the Herring Emperor Bowl. Her ode to Jackson Pollock. She layers about eight or so different colors to get the effect she is looking for .taking some time.!!! This is George's favorite part!....... Not.
Checkout http://www.solinglass.com/
to see all the Solinglass Emperor Bowls !
ONWARD!
We are all getting Randi ready for a big road trip! She has a harsh show schedule set up for herself...
She will be heading to the Temple Arts Festival...... http://www.templenashville.org/_taf/
If by chance you are in Nashville TN on April 10 or 11, 2010 stop by and say hello to Randi.
As always... We can't thank you enough all for your love and friendship.....
one more thing....................
We will sadly miss our friend from down the hall ...Josh Werner left this world March 9, 2010....It was a Tuesday......He was a member of Natalie Blake's team.. We were always sharing funny stories with him. He definitely had different outlook on life..and he made us laugh... Especially when he charged "the Josh tax"! See you next time
Dr Don Pickett Iddel Blede. rest in peace.
THE PRESENT................................
Pashmina Cintura is in the Window series designed by Randi Solin at Solinglass in Brattleboro, Vt.
BUBBLE BUBBLE TOIL AND TROUBLE
Most of the time we have a great time in the studio, don't get me wrong.... BUT..... sometimes, there are those moments that make you wonder.. "what the heck was I thinking when I said I would do This!?!"
Each time Randi designs a piece she take careful consideration to mostly color...however, form, size all relate to the final presence of each individual piece. When Randi decided to create this new Window piece and I accidentally told one of the galleries that it was the first in a series.. oops. , there was one small teeny tiny details that we overlooked.......
BUBBLES
In the glass there are these little to you and me... the size of a pinhead in the world of mountains and oceans!
BUT...... when one or two of three teeny tiny itsy bitsy pinhead size bubbles shows up in the "window" of the piece we are working on you will instantly see three "grown"(a loose term) transform into something different. Faces contorted with crooked smiles and half laughs about what we are about to face....
We recently reach a record... one that we did NOT want to achieve... 6 plus hrs on one piece! OMG! IDK! ROFL![ side note! I think those are expressions... (I saw them on my daughter's cell phone one day! I thought she was learning a new language in school! Nope... they, meaning her generation plus, are creating their own language... so incredibly interesting to me...)]
So... 6 hrs... 116 degrees Fahrenheit!...and BUBBLES...
I was at a show with Randi and a very nice gentleman exclaimed! "GEE! I have not seen such clear glass unless it was lead crystal!" This made Randi smile and me grimace because we both know to get that beautiful front can sometimes take up to 2 hrs! of using a torch and gloves and tweezers to meticulously torch and pull out each little teeny tiny pinprick of a bubble that is obstructing the beautiful carefully thought out coloration that lies through the window!
Each piece is comprised of many layers of glass,, each time we go into the furnace, or GATHER, a new surprise comes out.. No bubbles! No bubbles! that's what we hope for.... they happen from the first not so heavy gather to the final extremely heavy gather... and did I mention the 6 hrs day was 95 degrees outside so the shop was ROASTING .. probably.. 116 degrees plus..!?
Bubbles in the glass are caused by a number of things... it is air, those bubbles, trapped under layer of glass by CHARGING the furnace, or filling the furnace with BATCH and melting it into glass. I know one studio that stirs the furnace all the time with a very expensive armature... not gonna happen here! so....
Randi sits holding the pipe in her left hand and a handtorch in her right.. as I or George, stand anxiously over the piece worrying about how she will keep the coloration safe the piece hot enough, on center enough, how deep is the bubbles on and on....waiting for the spot to be hot enough to attempt to pull the bubble out without damaging the piece and creating more problems...Phew..it's hot.... sweat is dripping, ok pouring off Randi... Me...I don't want to let a drop of sweat fall onto the piece of there is another issue to deal with... Each minute seems like 2... with the radiant heat of about 1900 degrees ... maybe feels like 3 minutes..
As we are dilligently working the pice is cooling and Randi is trying to keep the piece hot enough to work on now and not break.. If the glass gets too cold it will crack on the PUNTY. No fun.
So we are constantly REHEATING the piece.
When we finally get all the bubbles, metal left by the tweezers, PAPER MARKS and anything else left on the clear part of the piece we can move on! This involves torching large gaping holes left in the face of the piece and MARVERing them back to smooth clear like nothing ever happened!
It is a painstaking process that when it works out is totally worth it! Especially, when someone falls in love with a piece.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival........ I recommend trying it at least once...
http://www.nojazzfest.com/
Food tents.... yum.
This past winter and spring has been extremely busy for Solinglass...Randi has not been with us the whole entire time in Vermont! She has been the SUPER ROAD WARRIOR! Not only has she been being a mother of three a wife of one Jerry Baker,and a role model for business in her community, she has been traveling to adjust to the ever changing economy! Randi recently participated in a number of shows. The most recent 2 were the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington DC and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in New Orleans Louisiana!!
I will maybe speak for Randi when I say the latter was the most memorable! Of course I would like to say it was because I was there... as she graciously flew George and I to Birmingham Alabama picked us up and drove us with her to the show! to "help" although she set us free to roam most of the day while the music was rolling making it a most enjoyable "WORKATION" I must say!
Bourbon Street
Natalie and Marie
Needless to say we have had some great times over the first part of this year and are looking forward to..
THE FUTURE........
Coming up, Randi will be traveling to beautiful CHAUTAUQUA NY for the Chautauqua Craft Show .....
http://www.craftsalliance.com/
The show dates are July 9-11 2010 Hope to see you there!
Also, We will be returning to Ann Arbor Michigan for the State Street Art Fair
Check out their web site!!!! this is the largest group of shows in the country!
http://a2statestreetartfair.com/
Relay for Life
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY10NE?team_id=649934&pg=team&fr_id=23455
Randi, among being a great friend is also a great member of her community. She is participating in the RELAY FOR LIFE this Friday for an all night relay with a team of women who have been donating many hours of their time raising money for the cure for cancer.
When she was 13 years old Randi's mother passed away from breast cancer. This is a cause very close to her and many of us who have lost a friend of family member to this horrible disease.
Please check out her personal page by clicking on the link above and looking in the right hand column for Nancy's Angels. click on that. scroll down to find Randi's personal page or to donate to this cause... Thank you for all you support.
peace.
