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| REEDS | | |
This is the newest work that Randi Solin has designed.... Reeds. This piece stands 24" tall x 14" wide x 5" deep.. Layered with many different colors of cane and frit.and "fine" Silver foil......this is truly a 3D abstract "painting" allowing the viewer to enjoy it from all directions! The gesture and form truly gives you sense of underwater REEDS coming to life.
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| The ICE is on the pumpkin! |
Hello and Happy Holidays!
This has certainly been any interesting year! hmmmm..............
We here at Solinglass have just made it through another Open Studio Holiday Sale! We certainly had a lot of fun! Thank you to all of those who were able to take time out of their busy schedule to grace us with their presence!
OPEN STUDIO 2010
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| the halls were alive with music. |
We had live glassblowing demonstrations all day! There was pottery, jewelery, woodworking, massages, specialty toys, yummy jams and much more!
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| Randi and George draining the furnace! |
lots of people came through.........................................
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| liquid light |
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| old friends and new friends |
We had so much fun! We hope to see you all next year
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DECONSTRUCTION......RECONSTRUCTION!
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| the old glory hole! at rest. |
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After the open studio, we drained the furnace! Which means we took out the rest of the glass. Then we shut down the furnace! The night was so quiet. No roar of the burner, no Glory hole rumbling.... and it was dark....
Let the deconstruction begin!
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| George and the new Glory Hole unfinished.... |
There was lots to do!.. After the furnace cooled down enough to touch (this took 5 days!) we had to dismantled it to assess it for damage... A nail biting experience...Do we have to get a new furnace? Or can we "love up" this one? A new furnace was just about out of the question ,,, so we were all quite happy and surprised to see we could do some need maintenance and she'd be almost good as new... well with one difference..
Randi decided have Glass furnace wizard Charlie Correll install a recouperating system onto the furnace.
You can find out all about this system on his website!.....
http://www.correllglassstudio.com/
At the same time we had to prepare the new glory hole and dismantle the old glory hole.. after 11 years! wow! George and Charlie had built the new glory hole about a year ago! It has been sleeping quietly in the corner without it's legs....
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| The beast at rest. |
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| furnace door |
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| not used to it being so dark in there!! |
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| Michael..overseer,,,,we couldn't do it without him! |
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| Randi focuses...ready to weld! |
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| We had to weld the legs of the new glory hole onto the body! Randi, welder extraordinaire was on the job. We all were thinking about how to tip it up! we'll get to that later!! |
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| the face off the furnace |
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| George checking out the drainport |
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| the furnace .empty. void of the crucible. |
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| Randi and Charlie |
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| taking apart the old glory hole |
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| the floor of the glory hole |
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| Charlie Correll and our baby... |
Charlie came in and tore a gaping hole in the side of the furnace! YIKES!
We had so many projects going on at once.. sometimes it was hard to keep track!
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| the guts of the recouperater |
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| meanwhile...George casts the new gathering port! 95 pounds of refractory! |
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| rebuilding the furnace! |
Charlie came into the studio and tore apart the furnace last week.. He started building the new recouperater.. then left for vacation! So here we sit.. waiting for Charlie.... ready to put the furnace back together. The studio looks quite different at the moment... pieces and parts of the furnace and glory hole everywhere. We are all anxious to pull everything together and get up and running again.
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| the crucible in place..leveled |
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| rebuilding the furnace |
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| Randi....placing soft brick in the furnace |
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| the new door/gathering port/face |
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| "gooping" up the door with moldable refractory |
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| the furnace front rebuilt..ready to cast the sill |
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| measuring the sill |
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| I just like this picture. |
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| all set to cast the sill.... |
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| sometimes accidents happen. ouch. |
sometimes.. well most times, our schedule gets messed up with some little detail that we never thought of.. or sometimes you let go for a second and the the face falls to the floor.. this set us back at least 3 days .. we just cast a new face today and must let it set up...for at least a day.
Lucky...Charlie won't be back until Monday!...
Trusting Mr. Michael Wind... Randi left the standing of the 900 lb piece of equipment up to him..... Michael took in mind all precautions and considerations .. He devised a way that 3 people could do it! amazing.... using a 2 ton come-a-long / winch and chains from my dad... building a support frame from 2x6s and 2x4s, and a 10 foot 2x4 lever ... the job was done in less than one hour...all I had to do was take the pictures! Thanks Michael! We've been wondering about that for about a year now!
Randi's welds held up no problem! Great teamwork!
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| Michael watches as Randi hoists the 900lb glory hole up! |
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| setting the glory hole on it's legs... |
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| the new glory hole ready for doors and to be piped in! |
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NICK DANTONA PHOTOGRAPHY
We have had many photographers come into the studio to take a few shots and see what they "come up with"...
We had the pleasure of having Mr. Nick Dantona come to Solinglass... and this is what he "came up with" All these photos are copyrights of Mr. Dantona and have his permission to be used in this blog. Thank you Nick. The photographs are quite amazing. Please check out his website!
http://www.ndantona.com/
I think these photographs encapsulate the being and motion of the glass as part of a beautiful dance. Just like life .. everyday bring new adventures in the studio,,,, For the last 10 years, I look forward to stepping my feet through the door every time I go in.
So....I must add on a personal note, being the end of the year and all..that...........................................
Over the past
ten years, I have had the pleasure of working and traveling in very close quarters with Randi Solin.... I feel very lucky... She has been there watching my 3 children grow up...She has been a fantastic person to work for and with.. She has been an even better friend... I have watched this woman grow in her personal life and business..She has made Solinglass a family of 4.. She gives her all to everything...from running her business to making sure her family is well cared. She works more than any other person I know to achieve this; and is a true inspiration to perseverance and life itself. The gratitude I feel for this gift is priceless and can not be put into words. I can only say that I look forward to the next 10 years...much love and........ Thank you Randi.
Happy Holidays to everyone out there... and thank you all for making this year be the year it was.....
We here at Solinglass wish you a happy NEW YEAR....... May 2011 bring you all your wishes and dreams. Thank you for all your support!
Charlie came into the studio and tore apart the furnace last week.. He started building the new recouperater.. then left for vacation! So here we sit.. waiting for Charlie.... ready to put the furnace back together. The studio looks quite different at the moment... pieces and parts of the furnace and glory hole everywhere. We are all anxious to pull everything together and get up and running again.
