DOCSLIB.ORG

Notes on Working with Dichroic Coated Borosilicate Glass

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Notes on Working with Dichroic Coated Borosilicate Glass Notes on working with dichroic coated borosilicate glass Milon Townsend The following notes parallel the webinar presentation you have been able to enjoy. Some of the information will have been presented, but much of the following will be insights that I was unable to fit into our short 2 hour format. I am in the process of writing ‘Flameworking, Volume II’, which features an extended section on working with dichroic coated glass. I use only CBS (Coatings by Sandberg) dichroic coated glass, proved to me many times over for its durability and consistency. Contact your favorite distributor and be sure to request CBS coated dichro. It is very resistant to burnout, and the color palette is quite wide and varied. Boro plate glass is a relatively unknown element in our field, since getting is has been pretty costly, up until now. I felt strongly that it made no sense to clue you in a radical and exciting new way of making dichroic galaxy cane if you wouldn’t be able to get your hands on what you needed to do it with. I have arranged with ABR Imagery that they will carry boro plate glass in 6.5 mm and 9 mm thicknesses, at a very reasonable price. www.abrimagery.com If you’re interested in the 2”and 3”thick chunks that I use for bases on some of my work, with dichro melted into the bottom for effect, please contact me. See the email address at the bottom of the next page. The torches that I typically use – Mini Milon by Nortel and CC and CC+ bench burners by Carlisle are all or partly pre-mixed, giving them an aggressive flame and intense quick heat very suitable for working with boro. You will find that the triple mix and surface mix burners will tend to burn out the dichro even less than the torches that I use, and that you should have very good success. Please take the time to cut yourself a bunch of little strips, something like ½”x 2”, and let yourself experiment freely. Don’t worry about burning it out – just work with it until you become comfortable with the material and the process. It is in fact necessary to heat the coated surface directly sometimes, so you need to feel OK with doing that, based on your own experiences. You’ll also notice that different colors behave differently. Some colors will flake off more than others; some multiple coating colors tend to burn out a little more; narrowly patterned sheets tend to burn out along the edges of the patterning where the coating stops and starts again. Pre-heating strips or pieces in your kiln (1050˚F - 1125˚F) will keep from wasting any due to cracking when you start using the piece. Putting the partically used piece into the same hot kiln will keep it from cracking when it cools down, and prevent waste there as well. I find it generally useful to establish a heat base in the dichro prior to application or heating it on the coated side. You can either pre-heat it in your kiln, or attach it to a pontil and run the uncoated side up and down in the flame until the piece is pre-heated and maybe even a little soft. Heating it on the coated side at this point will create little or no burnout, as long as you don’t use an extremely hard, sharp oxidizing flame directed at one point on the dichro coated glass. The coated side adheres a little less well than the uncoated side, since there is a thin layer of metal in between the two surfaces being joined. When cutting dichro with a wheel type glass cutter, be sure to score it on the uncoated side. This will give you a better break. Do be careful, though, that you don’t slide the glass (coated side down) around on the cutting surface, since it is very likely that there are small glass shards on the surface that will scratch the coated side. Cutting borosilicate glass (whether the plate from which to make the sandwiches or the dichroic sheet itself) requires about 60 lb. pressure on the cutting wheel, as opposed to the 8 lb. pressure needed to cut other glass. Please contact me at: [email protected], should you have any unresolved questions. I’m sharing the information about dichro as I’ve found it useful in my own work, and my desire is that you succeed in implementing these methods into your own artistic vocabulary. For information on ordering stencils, or purchasing a system for making your own, contact: Rayzist Photomask, 955 Park Center Drive, Vista, CA 1-800-729-9478 www.Rayzist.com DICHROIC GLASS Dichroic Glass is an ultra-thin coating of metal oxides and quartz crystal, grown as a crystal structure on the surface of glass, using a highly technical vacuum vapor- deposition process. Originally produced for the Aerospace industry, science has joined with art and Dichroic Glass is now used by top glass artists in the industry. The main characteristic of Dichroic Glass is that it has a transmitted color and a completely different reflective color. Furthermore, these two colors visually change depending on your angle of view. Since there is virtually no absorption of light, the purity and intensity of color is unlike any other colored or stained glass on the market today. THE DICHROIC GLASS COATING PROCESS The two hour vacuum vapor-deposition process used to create Dichroic Glass, must take place in an airless environment, so large six foot diameter, stainless steel vacuum chambers are used (Each chamber is valued at over one Million Dollars). The chambers allow a controlled environment of pressure & temperature so that, when melting/vaporizing materials, the molecular vapor is the only material that is condensed onto the surface of the glass substrate. This process is much like the “fuming” process that a lampworker uses to fume gold or other metals onto an art piece, except the Dichroic Coatings are performed in a highly controlled airless environment and it takes a scientist and an engineer to maintain and manufacture this very technical product. The detailed coating process entails complete precision. First, the glass must be cut into circles so that the full run of six sheets can individually rotate while the coating process takes place (The rotation of the glass allows a more consistent coating from one edge of the sheet to the other). Next, the circular sheets are rouged with cerium oxide to remove debris from the glass surface. Then the sheets are cleaned once again with a solution of Isopropyl Alcohol and mild soap detergent to remove water spots and/or calcium buildup. Just before the technician loads the glass into the chamber, it is final cleaned with pure Isopropyl Alcohol and blown off with dry nitrogen to knock off any specs of dust and/or debris that might have settled onto the surface. This painstaking cleaning process is essential to the quality of the coating and allows the vapor to better adhere to the glass surface. The glass is now ready to be secured onto the spindles within the chamber. Once the glass is loaded into the automated chamber and the large door is secured shut, six separate computer systems take control of the run. The mechanical pump starts evacuating the air within the chamber, the heaters start to heat the chamber to approximately 300 degrees Fahrenheit and the rotation motors kick in. Compressed air lines are used to open valves and move shutters within the pressurized chamber. Water cooling is continuously supplied to the crystal monitor (measures the material being deposited onto the glass), the electron beam gun crucibles where the material is held waiting to be evaporated, the walls of the chamber and the compressors that generate the cooling for the cryo pumps (The air freezes as it is removed from the chamber). During this “pump down sequence”, we perform a Plasma Discharge Glow Cycle that further cleans the glass and metal tooling inside of the chamber. The “Glow Cycle” is generated by using high voltage within the chamber to create an electrical field of ions around the glass substrate. Pure oxygen is bled into the chamber during the Glow cycle to remove any left over hydrocarbons on the surface of the glass by a process of oxidation. Also, the bleeding of gas into the chamber during the glow cycle has a secondary effect of “ Impinging cleaning”. The glow gas entering the chamber is coming from a higher pressure source and enters into the vacuum at high velocity, striking the surface of the glass causing particles on the surface to dislodge. By the time the glow process has ended, the mechanical pumps start to labor under the stress and pressure of the chamber as it drops well below atmospheric pressure. This is when the computers signal the cryo pumps to kick in. The cryo pumps have large surfaces at a very cold temperature (approx. 12 degrees Kelvin, which is –438 degrees Fahrenheit). When the molecules of air from the chamber enter into the cryo pumps, they freeze on the very cold surfaces and become captured. The airless environment created within the chamber puts over 128 tons of pressure on the chamber walls. For scientific buffs, the pressure needed for coating is less than 10 to the –3 Torr. The conditions within the chamber are now viable to start coating. At the base of the chamber, the Electron Beam Gun begins to power up.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Bullseye Glass Catalog
    CATALOG BULLSEYE GLASS For Art and Architecture IMPOSSIBLE THINGS The best distinction between art and craft • A quilt of color onto which children have that I’ve ever heard came from artist John “stitched” their stories of plants and Torreano at a panel discussion I attended a animals (page 5) few years ago: • A 500-year-old street in Spain that “Craft is what we know; art is what we don’t suddenly disappears and then reappears know. Craft is knowledge; art is mystery.” in a gallery in Portland, Oregon (page 10) (Or something like that—John was talking • The infinite stories of seamstresses faster than I could write). preserved in cast-glass ghosts (page 25) The craft of glass involves a lifetime of • A tapestry of crystalline glass particles learning, but the stories that arise from that floating in space, as ethereal as the craft are what propel us into the unknown. shadows it casts (page 28) At Bullseye, the unknown and oftentimes • A magic carpet of millions of particles of alchemical aspects of glass continually push crushed glass with the artists footprints us into new territory: to powders, to strikers, fired into eternity (page 31) to reactive glasses, to developing methods • A gravity-defying vortex of glass finding like the vitrigraph and flow techniques. its way across the Pacific Ocean to Similarly, we're drawn to artists who captivate Emerge jurors (and land on the tell their stories in glass based on their cover of this catalog) exceptional skills, but even more on their We hope this catalog does more than point boundless imaginations.
    [Show full text]
  • An Empirical Approach to Colour in Glass
    arts Article An Empirical Approach to Colour in Glass Heike Brachlow School of Arts & Humanities, Royal College of Art, London SW7 2EU, UK; [email protected] Received: 1 December 2018; Accepted: 15 January 2019; Published: 18 January 2019 Abstract: This paper focuses on the characteristics and use of transparent homogenous coloured glass for cast glass sculpture. It provides an overview of glass colouring agents and their characteristics, and establishes factors that influence the appearance of colour in glass. Methods to visually evaluate appropriate colour density for a given form are discussed, as well as essential characteristics that a form must possess to achieve results within a density threshold area, where coloured glass changes in value and/or hue between thick and thin sections. Keywords: colour; volume colour; glass; glass casting; glass sculpture; glass art; optics; density threshold 1. Introduction Colour in glass is an extensive subject and one that I have been researching for many years, with a focus on colours for kiln cast solid glass sculpture. A given form’s appearance can change drastically depending on its colour, and on whether it is transparent, translucent or opaque. Colour decisions are of critical importance to glass artists—they can ‘make or break’ a work. Many glass artists’ approach to choosing colour may be loosely defined as ‘hit and miss’, a method which becomes more reliable as an artist’s experience increases. While glaze testing is an integral part of ceramics methodology, this approach is not always suitable for glass. Although glass artists do employ colour tests, especially when working with frits and powders or designs with multiple colours, to obtain effective test results on how a transparent colour works within a form, one would have to test at full scale, and essentially make a duplicate of the form, the first one being the test.
    [Show full text]
  • Bullseye Glass Catalog 12
    Bullseye Glass CATALOG for Art and Architecture 12 CONTENTS SHEET GLASS What to Expect 2 Get a Reaction 3 Opalescent 4 Black & White 6 Tekta 7 Transparent 8 Irid & Textured 12 Cascade and Infusion 17 Streaky 18 Collage 20 Ring Mottles 22 ACCESSORY GLASS Billets 24 Frit 26 Stringer 32 Rods 34 Confetti & Murrine 38 Dichroic Glasses 39 ASSORTMENTS Glass Packs 40 Bullseye: More Than Glass Sample Sets 41 The Bullseye Factory in Portland, Oregon makes thousands of glass products in an unsurpassed color palette, using state-of-the- TOOLS & SUPPLIES art systems to protect the environment. We're also hard at work Cutting Tools 42 supporting the people who use our glass. Kilnwork Tools & Supplies 44 Bullseye Resource Centers are one-stop destinations for the full Coldwork & Finishing 45 Bullseye glass product line, all the tools to work with it, and classes Print & Glass 46 for all levels in a supportive, inspirational environment. You’ll find Kilncasting 48 them in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Portland, and Santa Fe. Torchworking 48 Molds 50 Bullseye’s Klaus Moje Research & Education Department tests Kiln Supplies 54 products and develops educational resources—classes, technical articles, FAQs, video lessons—as well as provides support to our Kilns 56 customers through the Bullseye Forum. Safety 59 Display 60 Bullseye Studio assists artists and designers from around the world, helping them realize their design and often developing new approaches to kilnforming in the process. MEDIA Books 62 Bullseye Projects offers exhibitions by international artists working Charts & Posters 65 in kiln-glass, as well as educational programming, collaborations, and residencies that push the conceptual, technical, and aesthetic TechBook & Video Lessons 65 boundaries of the medium.
    [Show full text]
  • Glossary of Glass Terms
    Glossary of Glass Terms A Abrasion The technique of creating shallow decoration by grinding with a wheel or other device. The decorated areas remain unpolished. Acanthus In art, an ornament that resembles the leaves of the species Acanthus spinosus plant. Acid Etching The process of creating decoration on the surface of glass by applying hydrofluoric acid. A similar effect is weathering, obtained by exposing glass to fumes of hydrofluoric acid to create an all- over matte surface. Acid Polishing The technique of creating a glossy, polished surface by dipping (usually) cut glass into a mixture of hydrofluoric and sulfuric acids. Developed in the late 19th century. Acid Stamping The process of acid etching a trademark or signature onto annealed glass using a rubber stamp-like tool. Aeolipile (From Greek): Globular or pear-shaped object with a narrow neck and mouth. Its function is believed to be as containers. See Grenade Agate Glass See Calcedonio Air Trap, Air Lock An air-filled void of almost any shape. Air traps in glass stems are frequently tear- shaped or elongated and spirally twisted. See Diamond Air Trap, Pegging, Twist Air Twist See Twist Alabaster Glass A type of translucent white glass first produced in Bohemia in the 19th century. Similar to opal glass. Alabastron (From Greek): A small bottle or flask for perfume or oil, usually with a flattened rim, narrow neck, cylindrical body, and two handles. Ale Glass An English drinking glass for ale or beer first made in the 17th century, with a tall and conical cup, a stem, and a foot.
    [Show full text]
  • ANDREW LANG Blowing Dichroic Andrew Lang, Dichro Lace Donut, 12" X 4", 2018
    Glass Talk ANDREW LANG Blowing Dichroic Andrew Lang, Dichro Lace Donut, 12" x 4", 2018. by Colleen Bryan Photography by Jane Love ndrew Lang blows dichroic glass sculptures in the Maryland “I call my style of using dichroic glass “Dichro 360/360” to de- suburbs of the District of Columbia. For the past year and scribe how I encapsulate the entire surface of my pieces. My goal is Aa half, the artist has pursued his obsession with form, size, and to create seamless surfaces of striking colors or fascinating patterns. intensity of color in blown sculptures with exteriors covered in Occasionally I apply nondichroic ornamentation to a piece as gold dichro. “I’m in love with the effect of dichro on interesting forms. tips or nondichroic bands to give the pieces an additional ‘kick.’ My perusal of the Internet hasn’t shown anyone else who is taking Otherwise, I let the dichro and the shape carry the entire message.” flat sheets of dichroic glass and blowing it out into objects of the His sense that he might be getting somewhere with his new art form size that I make.” was affirmed when Tony Glander, president of the American Glass Lang, formerly a steel sculptor, worked copper coated weld- Guild and fellow member of the National Capital Area Glass Guild, ing rods into delicate animated figures but found it a challenging saw an array of dichro pieces stored in Lang’s garage and urged him way to make a living. To solve the money problem, he went into to get them out into circulation.
    [Show full text]
  • Metal Clay Ltd
    Art Clay Types A Must Keep Product Review Projects by Petra x Art Clay looks and feels much like Art Clay Silver - 650 Paste ordinary sculpting or porcelain clay. This thick cream-like paste version of the 650 What makes Art Clay so fantastic is clay is made for filling in cracks and gluing unfired pieces together, just like a ceramic slip. that it consists of extremely fine You can also use it to cover leaves, paper and particles of pure metal (silver or similar to make a silver replica. Comes in 10 gold), almost like dust, mixed up and 20gm. with a non-toxic organic binder. Art Clay Silver – 650 Syringe The binder burns out during firing, leaving you with a pure metal piece. This softer version of the 650 clay comes in a syringe to make fine lines, dots and other Art Clay comes in several forms: decorations. It’s thicker than paste so will hold its shape when extruded. It can be applied Art Clay Silver - 650 Clay to a core shape which burns off during firing, This clay needs the lowest firing temperature creating a filigree or lace-like hollow form. It is (650°C), and shrinks less that the other Art Clay great for surrounding and setting stones in the forms. At this low temperature it can be fired clay, and can also be used for repairs. Shrinkage with sterling silver (which would get firescale 8-9%. Comes in 10gm, with 0, 1 or 3 tips. and can get brittle at higher temperatures). It can also be fired with dichroic glass and Art Clay Silver - 650 Slow Dry some natural stones.
    [Show full text]
  • The History of Dichroic Glass
    The History of Dichroic Glass by Howard Sandberg lthough the origins of glass are ancient and found in many Chance Beginnings civilizations throughout history, dichroic-coated glass is a Back in the early 1970s, Jerry Sandberg was working relativeA newcomer to the glass art world. Many people have heard for a vacuum-coating laboratory in Newport Beach and the story of the artist rummaging through the dumpster looking for The roots of this technology date back to the late 1880s. The sig- happened to take notice of an artist digging in the trash for cast-off dichroic glass that was being thrown away by the scientifi c nifi cant commercial development of thin-fi lm deposition, however, pieces of dichroic out of spec mirrors and started talking community. So what exactly is dichroic glass and how did it end waited to be spurred on by United States military and aerospace with him. This was the fi rst interaction that Jerry had with up in the world of art? requirements in the 1950s and 1960s. This technology has played a the artist community and was immediately fascinated with key role in optical coating for a vast variety of optical instruments, the creative potential of the glass. Jerry then worked with The Basics of Dichroic Glass lasers and laser systems, fi ber communication links, optical record- these artists to create the fi rst three dichroic glass colors Dichroic glass is actually a coating process that is completed ing/storage heads and media, display systems, infrared guidance specifi cally designed for the art glass industry (Cyan/Red, in a vacuum deposition chamber by vaporizing quartz and metal and detection devices, photoelectric converters, architectural glass, Magenta/Green, and Yellow/Blue).
    [Show full text]
  • The Architectural Series the Architectural Series
    LEE Filters The Architectural Series The Architectural Series Building on their experience in film and theatrical lighting, LEE Filters presents a range of lighting filter products specifically designed for use in the architectural, retail and entertainment industries. Fluorescent Sleeves Get creative with fluorescent lighting! LEE Filters offers a choice of over 200 colors for use as Fluorescent Sleeves for architectural applications. Visit www.leefilters.com to view the latest colors or call 1 800 576 5055 to request a free color swatch book. Pre-Assembled Sleeves Custom cut and pre-assembled Fluorescent Sleeves consist of a clear polycarbonate tube containing the color insert of your choice, arriving complete with end caps, ready to install. Fluorescent Sleeves available in lengths of 24”, 36”, 48” and 96” for your choice of T5, T8 or T12 lamps. Quick Rolls ColorFast Tubes Save time and money with the LEE Filters “Quick Roll”. Color infused fluorescent tubes offered in 12 colors, including ND for density reduction. Sizes T5 and T8 - 48”. The Quick Roll is a roll of gel pre-cut to a specified width from 1.5” - 46” and a standard roll length of 25’. Choose from any color Custom color and sizes available upon request. in the Lighting Filter swatchbook. (HT is not available as a Quick Roll). T5 Sleeves T8 Sleeves T12 Sleeves The Dichroic Series 1 Dichroic Glass Colors Glass Frames Specifically designed to meet the demands of the lighting These lightweight aluminum frames, suit the popular lighting industry, LEE Filters dichroic glass filters are produced by the fixtures in the entertainment and theatrical industries.
    [Show full text]
  • Fusing Decals & Inclusions
    TABLE OF CONTENTS FUSIBLE GLASS & PRODUCTS Includes: sheet glass, frit, powder, confetti, noodle, stringer & rod • 90 COE and System 96 Dichroic Glass................... 2 • 90 COE Glass ....................................... 29 • System 96 Glass ..................................... 63 • 82 COE / Float Glass ................................. 86 KILNS & ACCESSORIES • Kilns & Options . 90 • Shelves & Posts ..................................... 101 KILN WORKING SUPPLIES • Kiln Furniture........................................ 104 • Release Papers & Sprays ............................. 104 • Fusing Chemicals & Adhesives . 105 • Fusing Tools ........................................ 106 MOLDS • Frit Casting ......................................... 110 • Slumping & Draping.................................. 114 • Casting & Moldmaking . 132 PAINTS & ENAMELS • Paints, Enamels, & Mediums........................... 134 • Brushes, Sifters, & Tools .............................. 139 FUSING DECALS & INCLUSIONS On the cover: • Fusible Decals & Slides............................... 140 • Inclusion Paper, Wire, & Metals ........................ 143 Flagstaff artist, Judi Hartman, has been creating glass work for over three decades. A self-taught artist, her past artistic GLAS CLAY & METAL CLAYS endeavors included oil and acrylic painting, • GlasClay . 144 pottery, and more. Judi gave up all her other artistic efforts when she found she could, • Silver, Brass, Copper, & Bronze Clays . 145 at last, express her deepest feelings about her surroundings through
    [Show full text]
  • Kiln Pointers from Paragon
    Kiln Pointers from Paragon January 2002 – July 2009 Arnold Howard Paragon Industries, L.P. – Better Designed Kilns 2011 South Town East Blvd. Mesquite, Texas 75149-1122 Voice: 972-288-7557 & 800-876-4328 / Fax: 972-222-0646 [email protected] / www.paragonweb.com Copyright 2009, by Paragon Industries, L.P. 1 Low Voltage During the Summer CONTENTS Low Voltage During the Summer Recent Q&As: Memorable Quote News: Over-Temp for Digital Kilns ----------- LOW VOLTAGE DURING THE SUMMER Even a small drop in voltage can slow your kiln down. Here is an example from my own test firings: I test-fired a kiln recently. It took 5 hours and 3 minutes to reach 2331 degrees F (1277 C). In an earlier firing on a different circuit, the same test kiln took only 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach 2350 degrees F (1287 C). The difference in voltage between the two 120-volt circuits? Only seven volts. If your kiln is slowing down, do not assume that it is due to worn elements. The voltage to your building may be low due to summer time demand. If so, try firing your kiln when electrical demand is lower and the voltage is higher. Fire at night or early morning. ----------- RECENT Q&As Q. On the Sentry Xpress processor, why would you use a second segment, and what's the purpose of the speeds? A. The speeds are for simple firings that need only a single segment. For instance, you are firing to 1650, holding for a certain period, and then turning off the kiln.
    [Show full text]
  • Troubleshoting for Glass
    Troubleshooting For Glass Art PROBLEM - CAUSE - CORRECTION What went wrong? How did it happen? Can it be fi xed? How to avoid repeating? Dennis Brady Glass Campus Publishing Contents Index ……………………… 3 Stamping ………………… 28 Introduction ……………… 4 Combing …………………. 29 Cutting …………………… 5, 6 Weaving ………………….. 30 Cracks …………………… 7, 8 Mesh Melts ………………. 31, 32 Fusing Issues …………… 9 Vitrigraph ………………… 33, 34 Slumping Issues ………… 10 Stencils …………………… 35 Molds ……………………... 11 Stains …………………….. 36 Draping Issues ………….. 12 Devitrification …………….. 37 Drops ……………………… 13 Inclusions ………………… 38 Casting ……………………. 14 Kiln Wash ………………… 39 Edge Texture …………….. 15 Boron Nitride ……………... 40 Rough Bottom ……………. 16 Kiln Paper ………………… 41 Shape or Size Change ……17 Ceramic Fiber Paper ……. 42 Bubbles …………………….18 Glue ………………………. 43 Color Change …………….. 19 Coldworking ……………. 44 Dichroic & Iridescent …….. 20 Drilling ……………………. 45 Freeze & Fuse ……………. 21 Tools ……………………… 46 Pebbles ……………………. 22 Sandblasting …………….. 47 Stringers …………………… 23 Kilns ………………………. 48, 49, 50 Enamels …………………… 24, 25 Electrical ………………….. 51 Mica ………………………… 26 Keep Records ……………. 52 Frit ………………………….. 27 Create Good Habits ……... 53, 54, 55 2 Index Boron Nitride ………………... 40 Introduction …………………. 4 Bubbles ……………………… 18 Iridescent ……………………. 20 Casting ……………………… 14 Kiln Paper …………………… 41 Ceramic Fiber Paper ………. 42 Kiln Wash ……………………. 39 Coldworking ………………… 44 Kilns ………………………….. 48, 49, 50 Color Change ………………. 19 Luminescent ………………… 20 Combing …………………….. 29 Melts ………………………… 31, 32 Cracks ………………………. 7, 8 Mesh
    [Show full text]
  • Gordon Huether Studio Art Matters Introduction
    gordon huether studio art matters introduction When I was about 17 years old, after making my second stained glass window at my father’s kitchen table, I made a life decision: I promised myself that one day I would edify the spirit of humanity by bringing beauty and meaning into the world through art. I am happy to report that almost 40 years later, I am honoring that promise by creating art every day for every conceivable kind of building, home and landscape. From the beginning of my career, I’ve been fascinated by the interplay between light and glass as I explored the artistic possibilities of refraction and reflection in glass fabrications. As I developed as an artist, I began exploring other media, moving between highly refined, polished materials like polished aluminum and dichroic glass to gritty, repurposed and salvaged materials like rusted steel and weathered wood. I’ve learned to let the story I am telling lead me towards the right material. Salvaged and repurposed materials allow me to explore the effect of time and nature on man-made materials or, as in the case for the Napa 9/11 Memorial, convey the devastating aftermath of inhumanity. Using a variety of glass techniques and applications for university campuses and houses of worship captures the experience of inspiration and illumination often found there. My work investigates intellectual precepts and explores emotional complexities. It is about shaping a story and expressing an idea, not just creating an object of beauty. When developing a concept for a new public artwork, I endeavor to connect to the site by researching its history and culture; connect to the viewer by listening to the community and understanding their vision for the project; and finally, connect to the landscape and architecture surrounding the work by choosing materials that respond and engage with the location.
    [Show full text]