Dot face, two...

Time's limited today, so I'll just let the picture do most of the talking.



At this stage, the skull is fully formed (gee, I sound like a physiologist, don't I?). In this step, the base is being coated with pink. The reason the glass looks so "wormy" is because Loren swirls the glass as he's applying it - almost making tiny brush-like strokes. This prevents regular or organized-looking streaks from forming, as would happen if the glass was just swiped on. Basically, it makes the glass look more like skin and less like glass.

Have I mentioned that he has a commission to do a life-sized Cher in glass? Yes, THAT Cher.

The "dot" face and other stuff

Over the next few postings, I'll share pictures of what Loren Stump calls the "dot face." Why dot face? Well, I'm not sure, because there weren't any dots used that I could see! Here's the face as it's just beginning to be formed - at this point all you can see is the vague shape of a skull. And, yes, it's formed completely in clear - it will be overlaid with color in the next steps.



On MY bead horizon, I've been busy busy busy making beads. I have a show coming up next month (yikes!) and a trunk show - I think - in July. This whole weekend I had to do mostly "production" work, which for me means spacers to go with all the sets. Every time I spend a weekend this way, I PROMISE myself that "from NOW ON I'll make these little buggers as I go." But, I never do. It's just so much fun to make pretty beads....but, really I think the spacers make the set. So, from now on....

Off to see the wizard...

This picture is just a simple "pleat" bead. There's been an ongoing discussion about them on Lampwork Etc in recent weeks. It's really just a "twistie" - an opaque paddle of glass in the center, with piles of transparent glass on both sides, then heated and pulled out while twisting - but the color choice makes it look like there are pleats. Cool, huh?

Anyway, I'm out for most of next week, taking a five-day class from the wizard, Loren Stump. I seriously doubt I'll end the week with being able to make elephants, though...I've heard he survives on cigarettes and Cheetos....should be an interesting week. Also, his classes go from 8am until 9pm, 11pm, midnight....while I don't have the constitution for that, I hope to at least stay in the game. There won't be any updates, probably....