Bowls – ALICE E. SHEPHERD

Art Events, Bowls, Kiln Formed Glass, Uncategorized

The Birthstone Collection – Now Available Online!

November 28, 2014November 29, 2014 aeshep

Hey Cube’sters!

I have two exciting things to share: First, my Special Edition Collection of kiln sculpted glass is on display for purchase at Picture This Creative Framing and Gallery. The new location is celebrating a grand re-opening on Dec 4th from 5:00p to 8:00p and I look forward to seeing everyone! The works are also available for online purchase at http://www.picturethis-gallery.com/alice-e-shepherd-kiln-formed-glass/ thanks to Matt Fischer! Be sure to click on the “View Details” button in the “Quick View” window to get the whole story. I do love a good story, don’t you ? 🙂

Say hello to Turquoise Sky, the birthstone of December. The visual effect of the mix of brilliant blues and sunset colors made it easy to choose her name. And there’s a piece for every month of the year! These substantial bowls weigh 22 ounces and are approximately 8-1/2″ in diameter by 2-3″ deep.

Dec - Turquoise Sky — Dec – Turquoise Sky

AND if that isn’t enough…I am just back from setting up at Treasures for the Holidays at Gaylord Hotel and Resort (https://www.facebook.com/treasuresfortheholidays) with the “Birthstone Keepsake Collection”, mini versions (5″ diameter) of the gallery pieces complete with the most precious little “hat box” you’ve ever seen! It has self-threaded, replaceable ribbon. You just tie the bow and voila! Gift! These are perfect for bedside, bureau, or sink-side as a safe place to hold your valuable rings, earrings and other jewelry while you get on with your busy life. You might say they’re “Gems for Jewels”!

I love it when a plan comes together. Stay tuned for updates and enjoy your holidays!

Bowls, Kiln Formed Glass

Sapphire and Moonstone Bowl

June 20, 2014June 20, 2014 aeshep

Hot out of the kiln this morning! The second in my Birthstone Series: Sapphire and Moonstone for September. It measures approx. 8 1/2 diameter by 2 1/4 deep and features iridized glass in both sapphire and clear as well a sprinkling of dichroic on top. An alternate shot appears at the bottom of the post:

And a close up…

As usual, for my kindred, Cube’ster spirits interested in how things work I present a sketch of the process. Being quite literally unable to let precious, gorgeous remnants go to waste, first comes the re-purposing of scrap glass:

Next the “gemstones” (technically referred to as “frit balls”) are formed in the kiln. It took several firings to get all the colors done that follow:

After which they are fused together to render this:

Then another round of firing in a mold to slump into the bowl shape:

I am grateful to always be genuinely surprised and delighted by these outcomes. Although this glass is System 96 (because that’s what I had on hand), I thank the folks at Bullseye for sharing this technique on their website (http://www.bullseyeglass.com/).

Bowls, Kiln Formed Glass

Success with the Kiln-Pressed Glass Technique!

June 17, 2014June 17, 2014 aeshep

In my last post, the first of the year, I promised to do and THEN talk about it. After several months of home renovation which put both my in-home studio space AND my garage workshop (and ME) out of commission I am FINALLY putting the pieces back together . So without further ado I bring you — drum roll please:

This 10″ diameter, vibrant bowl was created using the “Kiln Pressed Glass” technique generously shared online at http://www.fusedglass.org. This multi-step, high temperature process is decidedly NOT for the faint of heart but the results are rewarding. To my knowledge there is no other way to get this watercolor effect in kiln-formed glass. For kindred spirits interested in process a picture(s) is worth a thousand words…

DAY 1: First comes the cutting and the weighing.

After cleaning the glass bits they’re set up in the kiln. Diameter starts at less than 6 inches:

And here’s the “pressed” part: loads of weights are stacked ON TOP OF THE GLASS. Yes, what you see above is indeed UNDER this:

With breath held and fingers crossed, the lid is closed and the firing cycle is programmed. Target temp is 1500 degrees with a lengthy hold. Entire cycle lasts nearly 24 hours. The result is over 8 inches in diameter, nearly 3 inches larger than the start:

But wait, there’s more…

DAY 2: After soaking to remove stuck on kiln wash, coldworking both surfaces with diamond hand laps then re-coating the kiln shelves and curing those (WHEW!) comes more glass cutting, cleaning and weighing (see step one) and THEN…

DAY 2 1/2: back in the kiln with the additional glass for the second firing:

It, too, is completely covered with loads of weights:

The next day…

The piece that started at somewhere between 5 1/2″ – 5 3/4″ is now 10 1/2″D with an overall thickness averaging just under 1/4″ according to my trusty calipers.

DAY 3: Next the piece went back into the kiln for a “Fire Polishing”: a lower temp and less lengthy process but basically adds a work day to the project. This provided a glossy top surface and a satin bottom (see pics at end).

DAY 4: Time to slump. The piece was centered and leveled on a bowl mold inside the Jen-Ken fiber kiln. Now when riding my motorcycle I endeavor to keep the shiny side up. But in this case I decided to go shiny side down and satin finish up top:

DAY 5: Here’s what I got when I opened the kiln:

And here are alternate snapshots of the finished piece which hopefully show at least a little the glossy exterior vs. satin interior finishes I achieved:

I am thrilled with the results and can’t wait to see how this technique will figure into my craft as a whole. Thanks for reading and stay tuned, Cube’sters!