Putting it all together, where do I begin?

After I had fluxed, foiled and soldered every piece, I decided to get all the items together to figure out what I wanted to do. To make the crown of any lamp, you lay out the general design so that you are mindful of the big picture. Even though all the pieces are not the same, seeing the overall design helps you know where to put certain pieces so that the crown is as balanced in design as possible.

I took a bowl from my kitchen to help me get started. It is the green color you see underneath the beginning of the crown.

Adding the sun and other pieces.

Working underneath the lamp crown.

Every piece must be soldered on all sides and angles. Wherever the pieces are touching, solder was applied to strengthen the lamp.

Different sides of Sagebrush Lamp

The white looks a little to white - I know...but the color of this glass is really a tan or "bone" color. When a light is reflected directly behind it, there are circular shapes in the glass, it is also textured with a rougher surface. I wish I could have brought it out in the photo.

There are glass gems, geodes, iron cast sun faces, green limbs, orange glass from a big antique vase soldered together.

Top of Sagebrush Lamp

This is the very top.

Cool huh? I put a string of twenty twinkle lights. You probably could put more lights in, so when this string burns out, try more lights or different colors. Red, or gold colored lights would be exquisite.

Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers, including mine.

My parents came to visit me this past October. Where would I be without my Mother? She has been a powerful role model for me and so supportive of my art and life. They came out to visit me from California. In the background, you can see my Dad signing my bus/studio. It is where I break, cut, sketch most of my ideas.
I love you !

Foiling the edges

This shows me working with my wooden fid. After I have taped the foil to all the edges of the glass, I go back over it with my fid to smooth out any wrinkles. The foil is the first layer of foundation that holds all the glass pieces together.

These are all of the foiled pieces that will make the lampshade portion of my Sagebrush Lamp. "Found objects" or glass from broken vases, plates, or bowls are harder to fid than flat pieces of glass because of all the shapes and curves.

Finished foiling this design

This will be a beautiful piece when finished. There will always be a few more embellishments, but this line, I'll call my "Landscape Designs" are simple and elegant.

Green's Corner - my favorite shop to look for "found objects".

Green's Corner - Antiques, Collectibles, Primitives, Furniture, and anything miscellaneous. Located at 723 E. Main, Shawnee, Oklahoma. Owned by Ronny & Jan Green. Open Thursday - Saturday from 9:00-4:00. Buy - Sell - Trade.

I have shopped at this place for the last five years. Every time I go in there are new things to look at. I like to fold in "found objects" within my glass designs. The more whimsical and crazier - the better and this place usually always has something. When my parents came through last October, I took them by. I am afraid my Dad and I might have left my Mom behind because she wanted to look at every single thing. It is hard not to. It is the kind of place that - the more you look the more you see.

Marbles...

All kinds of glasses and vases...

So many rooms...

This room always has lots of Native American and Mexican artwork and items.

Charlie, the cashier is always there to greet you with a smile. He knows about every item for sale in the store. Where it came from, or what it is. He told me the store has been around for twenty years and all items come up through the Shawnee community although he has people from as far south as Ada who bring items to sell. One couple from Arizona used to come through Shawnee with items to sell them but not anymore. Charlie didn't want his picture taken so you'll just have to come by and meet him yourself.

These bottles used to hold liquor.

This room has lots of larger tools used today and old cast iron tools from the past.

This is the cast iron room. More tools, pots, horse shoes - you name it, its there. This was where I got the idea to hang some of my work from old ice tongs.

You walk outside, and the pieces of miscellaneous items get larger. I like to just look at everything, wondering what they are and if I can use anything within my art.

Outside...

Look at everything here - wow!!! There were still more items inside that shed to the right.
This is what I found inside the shed.
What are these things? I do not know, but they look like skyscrapers built in the 1950's to me.

Screws, bolts, all those things you men like to look through!!! ha ha

Coke bottles...hhhmmmmmmm

Charlie kept all of these little things in these drawers under the glass countertop. Old business cards, fishing lures, pins from past election years.

OKay - let me explain this skull...

For my exhibit in Taos this summer, I had considered the idea of creating a realistic in size, glass cow skull which would be three dimensional, hang from the wall with lights fed up through the middle. I wanted to use glass for the head, but use real horns somehow. I had looked at many pictures to see how I could do this. That had been my thought brewing in my mind for this project. Low and behold, I came across this cow skull and was so drawn to its overall shape and design and especially how the horns had grown. Immediately it was the image I wanted to work from - but did I want to buy a cow skull?

I looked around some more at other things and came back to this skull and I bought it. When I got it home, I lifted it up onto my porch. When I did the hard cuticle of his horns slipped off in my hands. There I was with what I needed to create my glass cow skull. I decided to soak the rest of it in some bleach water, but have now heard from my Niece that I should have used hydrogen peroxide. I have taken the skull out. It is cleaner, but hopefully not too much more brittle. I will use the shape as a model and then retire it on my property to hang proudly somewhere.

I will incorporate these two pieces in my project.

Skull soakin...

These are items I bought at Green's Corner - Thank you Charlie!!!

I don't often know specifically what or how I will use these items...all I know is that I will.

This is an old lampshade. I like the etchings in these things and they add some intrigue to any glass design I use them in. (cow skull maybe)...

More items that I took home...

I just had to buy this glass. Its fun to drink out of - eventually I will break it and use the pieces in something.
Check out this blue color. Wow...I also bought these glass beads. I break apart the necklace and use them as sparkled accents throughout a design. That blue plate I know I will definitely be using in my projects for Taos.

Lots of detail in this plate below. I am creating a floral piece for this show in Taos, and will be folding in some pieces from this bowl into the design.

Possible lamp, I am thinking....

I thought this piece might be good pieces for my cow skull.

A few more items I had to buy...

I liked the colors and shape of this vase. I will break it and use the pieces in the projects I am working on now.
Look at the detail on this green mug? Neato....I also liked the murky lime green color of the vase so I grabbed that too.

These clay pots I had been admiring for a long time. I bought them. I can use them now but will eventually pick one and break it up. The Terra-cotta color and authentic painted designs will create a unique glass piece for the "Walking on Glass Tour" in Taos, New Mexico this summer.

I liked this little face. I may squeeze him in somewhere...the three circular glass pieces below came from the tops of old Kerr jars. All three says different things from the company who manufactured them at the time.

This photo shows a good example of all the things I am doing right now....

After I have washed the glass pieces I begin the foiling process. The foil is copper in color and has a sticky adhesive on the back. I cover the edges of all the glass so that there is a foundation for flux and solder. These three things: foiling fluxing and soldering make up the foundation on which each piece is soldered together. I am in the process of foiling everything in the picture. I noticed that a container of what the foil looks like when you buy it, my wooden fid and my glass cutter are on the left. Those are all items I also use in the process.