I have boxes (yes, plural) of clear fusible scrap glass. You see, every time I cut a piece to paint and mount onto wood (or whatever) it creates small pieces that are unuseable in my normal art pieces. I could make jewelry with it, but that is not the direction I want to take with these pieces.
In the past I have taken scraps like that and fused them together, added frit and paint and created some very beautiful bowls. They always end up with holes in them because as you layer the pieces to be fired, there are inevitable gaps between them. When it is fused the gaps only become larger as the glass pulls in on itself and rounds over.
To me, the holes are pretty and somewhat elegant in their randomness, but not quite useful to hold some things (like soup, for instance). But...what about allowing light to spill through them??
"Burning Bush" - (Get it? Cause it's "hole-ey")
This is one of the first tries and I am in love with it. First of all, I love trees! Secondly, the background just glows with the light and the holes create a lovely cast of light.
This one is about 7 x 10". Following some instructions in one of my favorite books - Richard La Londa - Fused Glass Art and Techniques - I purchased a sheet of stainless steel, some threaded rods and nuts and created a half tube slumping mold. It is just slightly slumped and barely stands up on it's own.
The other piece I did does not stand up on it's own. The bottom edge has an upward curve on the left side and is just not stable.
"Fencing"
I am considering some kind of base to stand these up on. Probably wood. I am also considering whether to actually mount a light in the base, or rely on sunlight or ambiant light to make them shine. I like the idea of natural light. Or maybe candles? Time will tell where this takes me. I still have lots of scrap glass. Oh, and now I have another idea for making the "sheets" of glass - melting through a stainless steel mesh. I am thinking it will create a smoother sheet and probably avoid any of the holes - hmmm....is that a good thing?
