The Studio
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1. The Setting
Santa Fe has a relaxed, old world pace that evokes serenity, expansiveness and creativity from the soul. The home studio I work from reflects this, with high ceilings and its rustic industrial vibe. There is a wall of windows that opens to the Pinon arroyo out back. Sweeping outward are the expansive views of the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountain ranges. Wildlife abounds with ravens, coyotes, bobcats and hummingbirds as frequent visitors. It's a lovely space to create.
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2. The Raw Materials
It all starts with sheets of stained glass and plates. I try to keep a good selection of colors and textures on hand to choose from at all times.
Then there are the rustic wood bowls, which to me are so beautiful in their rustic natural state. They are each hand-carved with beautiful imperfections, each one a work of art in its own right!
Then there are all the tesserae, such as jewelry pieces, tiles, smalti, glass nuggets, charms, picassiette (broken china) and plate backstamps. I keep telling myself that you can never have too much!
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3. So Many Steps!
With a design plan in mind, I pull all the components together to start my small masterpiece. There are no short-cuts . . . it is a very time-consuming process with many steps involved.
For mosaic bowls: The rough bowl base must be leveled with thinset and then sealed. Then the design is transferred to the inside of the bowl. Then each glass tile is hand-cut to get just the right fit in the design. Cutting and placing tiles takes several days and that's just on a small piece. Once the adhesive cures, then very messy process of grouting takes place. After that cures, the residual grout haze must be cleaned off. Then the grout lines can be sealed. Then each individual tile is cleaned again. The hardware and felt pads are then attached.
For stained glass: I create a pattern and select the glass colors to use. I then use that pattern to trace out the individual pieces onto clear plastic. Those are then adhered to the different pieces of glass. I hand cut the glass pieces and then use the glass grinder to refine those cuts. The Tiffany Method involves copper foil, which is adhered to all pieces. Once layed out all together, the soldering can begin, first tack solder and then a second layer of solder. There are several stages of cleaning, applying patina and polishing to finally get to the finish line.
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4. And the end result...beautiful!
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Angelheart glass art.com
creative designs by Kimberlee
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