Sandblasting @ Corning Glass Studio Class

Well, I am finally back from the Corning Glass Museum in Corning, NY and able to update my blog again! (I was not able to, due to the limited amount of time that I had to do as much glasswork as I could. I put every possible moment of glasswork I could do as priority - I hope I haven't lost too much readership!) Now I have so much to share! Meet my new friend for the last two weeks:

An Empire sand blaster from the Corning studio cold shop! I've used sandblasters with my glasswork before but this class that I took taught by Denise Leone Stillwagon involved the use of stage sand blasting and vitreous painting - either as combined techniques or as separate ways to manipulate the glass surface.

Here is an early image of my desk as I was beginning a stage blasting assignment. Stage blasting is simply the process of blasting glass in stages so as to create deeper and varied levels of depth in the glass. Though I bropugght great picture references with me I often began every project with a drawing.

Here is a pic of the glass piece IN the sandblaster!

And here is the final piece...mind you it was simply a class assignment- there is no kind of 'heavy content' here since I was just trying to familiarize myself with the equipment.

Comments

[lucy]

you haven't lost me! that is some awesome looking friend you've got there! haha
that butterfly is great! Sounds like a fun trip!

[indigene]

Hey girl,
I've been checking in wondering what you've been up to. You have been busy! Wow! You're having an amazing summer, stirring up the creative flow, which is always a great thing! I hope you, husband and animal children are well, too! Anyhow, I'll keep checking in. I've never worked in glass and I'm so amazed by your new work and the trip to Corning! I'm living in glass vicariously through you. :)

Hugs from the other girl of color in PA!
www.indigeneartforms.blogspot.com

[stainboy]

what an amazing process of drawing...reductive or erasure drawing with glass erased with sand? isn't glass made of sand? so you are manipulating glass with glass? I am so confused...guess i'll just stick with graphite for now...