Flame Working

I am absolutely thrilled about my glass classes. I started off enthusiastic and unsure of myself, and have just developed enough skill to feel proud about my work. Even as I type this, I am dressed in business casual attire and wearing a piece I made that happens to match my outfit. It somehow came out pink even though I don't have any pink glass. Not sure what happened, but I am happy with the result!

One of the first things I learned to make was a spiral pendant. This one has a loop made from pulling out part of the pendant itself. I had never done this before; all of my other loops are made by adding glass to form a loop. You'll see this below. This spiral includes a glow-in-the-dark color. (Sorry about the reflections in the surface - I'll find a better place to photograph my pieces next time.)

After sprial pendants, we learned to make implosions. This rather time-consuming method creates three-dimensional "petals" inside the pendant. Artists often arrange them to look like flowers, but not always. Here is an example of each, both containing glow-in-the-dark glass. Please remember the three white streaks in each are reflections of the lights and aren't actually part of the pieces.

Marbles are the most difficult things we learned to make back in the beginning class. They can take hours to shape into perfect spheres, especially the larger ones. I put a reverse spiral inside this one, it starts off in one direction then goes the other way. I never made another marble because this one took so long to make.

I am thoroughly enjoying the sculptural side of this class, despite the fact that this is the area in which I need the most improvement. I am actually very good at making turtles although I have no pictures to show for it due to the fact that I have given away every turtle I've made that didn't break.

My favorite things to make right now are glass flowers. They are simple to make in many ways, and at the same time can be rather difficult because they are prone to cracking as the artist focuses on one area and forgets to keep the whole flower hot. Here are some of the flowers I've made:

One of the most difficult things to make in flame working is a ring because of the tensions in the glass as it is pulled into a circle. Rings are highly prone to cracking, just like flowers, so what did I decide to do? ...combine them, of course! As an artist shapes a ring, the ends of the glass left behind look leaf-like before they are removed. I decided to leave them in place and add a miniature flower. This is something I have been attempting all quarter and have finally only yesterday managed to produce. The small white center of the clear glass flower glows in the dark.

These are only a few of the kinds of things I have made. I've been badgered for pictures, so here they are! Enjoy.

Spring Term 2010, Week 9

I have completed my floor plans, so all I really need to do now is draw a few other views of the building and build a model or two for my presentation. That sounds simple, and in reality it is, but it will also be very time consuming.

I have been taking a flame-working class, a class in which students learn to shape glass rods with a blowtorch. It is one of many classes offered at our Craft Center. I feel it is important as a future architect to familiarize myself with as many materials as possible, and the Craft Center is a great way to do that. I've been making glass pendants for necklaces, flower and turtle sculptures, rings, and a few other things. I've finally reached a point where I feel my work is sell-able, so if anyone wants to help a college student out, let me know what you want me to make and I'll tell you if I can do it and how much it will cost you. Once I get some good pictures of my work, I'll share them here.

Going back to my project, I've decided to be a social revolutionist in my designs. As part of my leadership training, I have become aware of the fact that there are over 10 different gender identities, and that some individuals will not use public restrooms marked as "male" or "female" because it will make these individuals (or those around them) extremely uncomfortable. I have, therefore, decided to include three restrooms in my design, just as I included three locker rooms in my aquatics center project last term, which was based in San Francisco. I have a meeting set up with someone from the Pride Center who puts on seminars to promote awareness about gender issues. She will help me figure out the best way to address this in my design, as well as the best way to communicate my reasoning to a panel of judges who will, most likely, be comprised of rather traditional faculty members.

Spring Term 2010, Week 7

This week I scrapped my direction and started over with a lot of things. My program is still the same, and so is a lot of the organization, but my approach is quite different. Rather than trying to fit my architecture into the classical past, I am going with a relatively modernist approach. I had been going with neoclassical (aka Greek or Roman Revival) since that's fairly typical of old wineries, but the more I thought about bringing in the high-rollers, the more I began to think state-of-the-art technology is a must-have. I am not even using standard construction in my design. Instead, I am using SIPs, or Structural Insulated Panels, something buildings in all extreme climates (hot and cold) should utilize. Imagine, if you will, two sheets of plywood separated by an approximately foot-thick layer of sturdy foam insulation. The plywood is glued to the insulation, forming one thick panel. These panels are so sturdy that they replace the need for studs. The joints are done in such a way as to form what is essentially an uninterrupted blanket of insulation around the building. In a typical house built with studs, these studs separate the panels of insulation, creating thermal weak spots. If you look at a picture of a house taken with a thermal camera, you can tell where the studs are. This, obviously, makes for very inefficient insulation in comparison to the SIP approach. SIPs are comparable in cost to normal construction, and save a lot of money in the long run. This is one of many ways in which the building I design will be innovative and refreshing in its new technology, creating a draw through its very state-of-the-art-ness. It will be a building that will teach the public simply by existing. (Or, it would teach if it was actually to be built instead of simply being a school project.)