When the quarantine started in March, my favorite glass and pottery studios shut down, along with many ‘unessential’ places of business. I understood all of this on an intellectual level. Having been an RN and holistic health practitioner for most of my adult life, I knew the seriousness of the issues and how it was affecting many people all over the globe. However, on a personal - albeit self-absorbed - level it was important to my health and well-being to figure out a way to continue to make my art. Making art is an ‘essential’ ingredient in my life. For me, everything I do in my life is tied into being creative. It is how I express my joy, love and reverence for life. It is my prayer, food and meditation.
It was in May that the glass studio announced that it was going to allow drop-offs for kiln use. I was so excited and researched a few things that would allow me to continue with making glass art. I was determined to find a solution! I looked into anything that might help me take my art-making from the commercial studio into my home and then use the kiln at the studio. I purchased a manual glass cutting system, which facilitated the cutting of larger glass sheets and smaller pieces. It is not a foolproof system, nor am I totally proficient in using it! Occasionally there were jagged edges on the cut glass. I added a machine called, 'The Grinder', which is a fabulous tool and allowed me to smooth out the rough and uneven glass edges after cutting. I also purchased some sponge sanding tools for finer sanding and smoothing. Since I have had a few requests from people wanting to see how I work with glass, I decided to create a video to show some of the process. This video was taken from my kitchen. While not an ideal backdrop or setting, it has become my new glass studio during this time. Even though the commercial studio has opened to a very small group of people - at one time, I still do much of my glass preparation work from home. For this video, I used my trusty iPhone 11S and a tripod. Despite being a bit nervous to cut glass and film at the same time, I think it worked out well. I only cut two of my fingers on the glass! I keep a box of bandages close-by.
The video will show you some basic elements of how I work with glass - measuring, cutting, grinding, smoothing, and a bit of designing from my kitchen counter. I hope you enjoy it!
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