The Kiln Is On!!!!

Following up with yesterday's blog, I told you about my next project. I'll call this one, "At The Lake", and will be showing it at the Tecumseh Center For The Arts. The pallet of colors shows how I work with the glass. It is crushed into a variety of sizes, from about 1/4" to powdered glass. I layer it as I go along. The photo at the far left shows what it looks like in the kiln now, just prior to turning the kiln on.

And, Thank God I am writing this blog. After spending hours working on this piece, while I was writing this entry and describing the process... I realized I left my framework on my kiln shelf. What I mean by that is, as I am layering the glass in the kiln, I use metal framing to keep the shards in line so I have an even edge when it is fused together. Once the layering is done and prior to turning on the kiln, I remove those edges.

What is interesting to me, is seeing the photo of the glass. It actually gives me a much clearer picture of what the finished piece will look like than what I see with my own eyes. Of course, once fused, it will look even more different that what you see here because the glass pieces will have much softer edges.

Ok, back to work. I'll post a photo of the finished piece when done.

Pat Deere

Show Details: Tecumseh Center For The Arts, Art Glass Month Exhibit, Featuring: Lorenzo Cristaudo, Linda Jacobs, Pat Deere, Dates: March 28th - May 2, Reception: March 28th

Art in the making.

Today I am starting on a new piece, using the same techniques I used on, "The Forest Through the Trees". I love working on pieces like these because they are so spontaneous.

The photo you see in the center is my inspiration. This came from a stop I made on a bike trip last year with my son, Matthew, my sister Stacy, and her daughter Shelby. Matthew and I were riding together at this point, and I am embarrassed to say, we almost caused a collision because I wanted to stop and get this photo. If you have ever had the opportunity to view the great lakes, you will know why I was so excited. If you have never had that opportunity, you really need to come and visit us. The blues and turquoise, and greens... are awesome. So, my job is to capture it in glass.

The technique I am using for this piece is to take an assortment of glass colors, using Spectrum System 96, cutting and hammering it into a variety of sizes. I will begin to layer it on a kiln shelf thick enough to be sure it all adheres well when I take it out of the kiln. What it gives is a beautiful palet of color and texture that can't be duplicated any other way.

I have some work in a show being hosted by the Hidden Lake Gardens and the Lenawee Council for the visual arts. The photo in a previous blog post, of my "Forest Through The Trees" shows you what it looks like prior to going through the kiln ( I couldn't get the photo to show up here - sorry). To see the finished piece, you can visit the Hidden Lake Gardens in the Irish Hills, Michigan through the middle of May. This new piece I am working on can be seen by visiting the show going on at the Tecumseh Center For The Arts during Art Glass Month. This show features three glass artists: Myself - Pat Deere, Stained Glass; Lorenzo Cristaudo, Blown Glass; and Linda Jacobs, Glass Mosaic.

Once I place all of the glass in the kiln the way I would like it to look, I close the kiln and slowly heat it to about 1400 degrees. I really pay more attention to the way it looks than the temperature it is at. I want the glass to be melted enough to hold together when picked up, but not so melted that I lose the wonderful texture that I am going after.

Once the process of fusing, annealing, and cooling is done... I will incorporate the fused panel into a finished stained glass panel. Come to the shows to take a peak, or I'll try to put photos up on my blog when I'm done.

Classes: Right now I am still offering individual, one-on-one learning opportunities. Fusing is a fun technique to learn for stand alone pieces, or to incorporate into a finished piece like I am doing here.

Custom Stained Glass: I have another custom project I am quoting. It is for a customer north of me and their logo is rustic in nature, including deer and evergreens. This technique will be one of the options I will offer to them in order to give them a design they won't find anywhere else.

Pat Deere

Michigan Glass Month is almost here!!!

What you see here is the beautiful brochure put out by the Michigan Glass Month Committee. I just got them in and they are full of things to do in the glass world from the end of March through the first part of May.

You can get your copy by emailing me through this blog or my web site, or by clicking on to www.michiganglass.org . But, you don't want to be without this information.

I have not made it to all of the events in the brochure but I have been to a few. The Glass Academy in Dearborn is sponsoring their 3rd Annual Motor City Blow Off. This is a very exciting event where teams of glass blowers have a live competition. It was awesome. Baron Glassworks in Ypsilanti is another glass blowing studio I had the pleasure of visiting. They are in the brochure. The Tecumseh Center for the Arts is a first time exhibitor and has invited 3 glass artists, myself included, for their month long exhibit with an opening and closing reception. And I am also once again hosting the "Annual Stained Glass GiveAway".

Find these, and much more, in this brochure. April in Michigan is an art event you will want to be part of.

Hope to hear from a lot of you!


Pat Deere

Day one in Chicago did not disappoint.

Actually, I am in Warrenville, which is a suburb of Chicago. After driving 5 hours on a perfectly beautiful, sunny, 28 degree day, I checked into my hotel and decided to see what they had for entertainment. Not really wanting to drive into Chicago by myself after driving all day, I looked around Warrenville. I ended up on the campus of Wheaton College to see the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra, of which I knew nothing about. But, when I clicked onto their web site to check it out and listened to this bit on You tube, I knew I had to hear them. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OAXCy3YS54&mode=user&search= .

I used to not go places like this by myself, being a little self conscious about it. But, then I realized I was cheating myself of some wonderful experiences. So, sitting in the seat by myself I closed my eyes and took in the sounds. Not realizing it would move me the way it did, I searched around for a pencil and something to draw on so I could get my feelings on paper.

The result was a few quick sketches that captured what I was feeling inside while the orchestra played. Since I was by myself, in a city far from my home, with nobody sitting directly beside me or behind me, I didn't have to worry about what people thought about my totally getting into this performance. Had I gone with somebody else, I don't think the depth of the concert would have been so profound and I surely wouldn't have started sketching what was going on inside me. I am anxious to put it into glass.

This reminds me to encourage you to visit your local live entertainment outlets. If you live in my community, check out the Tecumseh Center for the Arts: http://thetca.org/performances/events.htm . Last year I was given free tickets to see Natalie McMaster. I am now embarrassed to say, I didn't know who she was. Needless to say, I got tired in my seat watching her... 8 months pregnant, dancing around the stage and playing the fiddle like nothing I had ever heard before. And what a bargain. The same week she played in a neighboring city for almost twice what I paid. Can't beat live entertainment. To hear Natalie, try clicking on one of her songs on this link. But really, unless you are watching and listening at the same time, it's just not the same. http://www.nataliemacmaster.com/recordings/yourstruly.htm#soundclips .

Tomorrow morning at 7:30am I'll be at Ed Hoy's glass sale. Lot's of good stuff in their flyer - can't wait to see it and bring it back with me.

Pat Deere

Classes: This past week I was able to give a private lesson to a customer wanting to learn how to do stained glass but not wanting to wait for a group lesson. What an experience for both of us. If you would like to put a design that is in your head, onto paper, and then into a glass window... perhaps a private lesson would help you out!

Crowds of 1 to 2 million expected at inauguration

Originally I wanted to post some information about my classes on Saturday, but I couldn't help but get excited about today. No matter where you stand on the issue of who won this presidency, you can't help be realize what a historical event it is.

I was told the Tecumseh Center for the Arts, in my home town, was hosting an event for people to watch the inaugurtion. So, when I got online, I found several events in our area. Here is the information for the TCA that came from the Daily Telegram web site. Here is the link for other sites: http://www.lenconnect.com/news/x497788232/Inauguration-viewing-sites-planned : The public is welcome to watch the inauguration on the big screen at the Tecumseh Center for the Arts, 400 N. Maumee St. The open house-style event, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., is free. Cowboys Grill will offer an inaugural lunch menu. Reservations are needed, and can be obtained by calling the TCA at 423-6617. I am going to do my best to make it there.

I would love to hear how you are planning to spend the day!

Pat

OF NOTE: By the way, be sure to check my web site. My free mosaic class and other classes are posted there. It is Saturday, so don't wait. My plan was to work on my mosaic mannequin, Tara. Maybe going to the inauguration event will push me into a different direction on Saturday.

Birdhouse by Toni Herrick

Product Information: Birdhouse by Toni Herrick. This birdhouse is part of the Flights of Fancy Art Auction to benefit the Tecumseh Center for the Arts. This auction features the work of local visual artists and will culminate in a swanky party at the Tecumseh Country Club on September 13, 2008.

I was looking for information on Toni Herrick and found this photo of her donation for the TCA Auction. It is a wonderful, fun, and colorful piece that I thought you would enjoy seeing!

CLASS IDEAS: Don't forget to check my web site for upcoming classes... pre-registration required for all of them. Open shop time, free classes, and glass classes of all kinds are coming up quickly.

Mosaic Bird House Auction - Tecumseh Center for the Arts

The City of Tecumseh is hosting a bird house auction where the bird houses can be viewed in area businesses throughout the summer and auctioned off in the fall. My bird house, shown here, was inspired by my three teenage boys. It can be seen at United Bank and Trust in Tecumseh.

The four sides of this glass mosaic are: Life is a Journey, Get Inspiration Wherever You Can, Learn From Your Mistakes, and Be At Peace in the End. Each of the sayings are hand painted onto the glass and kiln fired for permanence. The poem, by an unknown (to me) author has been engraved onto the glass for the Learn From Your Mistakes panel. It really hit me when I read it and it reads like this:

Praying to a God you can't see and can't hear seem a little confusing?

When my child made a bad decision that was legally and morally wrong, I only had to ask him one question.

MOM: Would you have made the same decision had you talked to God about it first?

CHILD: No.

MOM: That was God talking to you. You may not see him and you may not hear him like I am talking to you now. But the ability to make good decisions while talking to God is prayer. And, your good decision is God's answer.

When you get to the side, Get Inspiration Wherever You Can, much of that came from a wonderful canoe trip I had taken on the Au Sable River with my children and friends. They had a beautiful old log cabin on many acres. The trip passed a private piece of land where somebody had built an outdoor chapel. It was roofed and the windows were made of wrought iron. Inside there were benches where you could sit, meditate, pray, or just listen to nature. It was a great place for a quiet moment and open to whoever wanted to stop by.

Visit all of the houses whenever you can. All of them are supposed to be listed on the Saline Picture Frame web site. I did not find that link yet but will post it when it becomes available.

CLASS NOTES: Along with a full array of other classes, I teach glass mosaic. There is a new product out called NO DAYS Mosaic Adhesive. Great product! It adheres well and is quick drying. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have about it and I do have a limited supply of free samples!

Pat

PL Deere