Silly Dog Art Glass
Handmade Glass Art and Gifts Inspired by Nature
 

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Some of my projects happen in just an afternoon, some take a couple of days and some a little longer.
I will try to document some of my works in progress as I go.

 

October 29, 2010
In anticipation of my upcoming shows, I have been making lots
of stuff!  Here are some of the new mini wood pieces I have made
from local driftwood.  They are fun to make and very affordable to
purchase so they make excellent holiday gifts.

   

   

   

   

   

October 28, 2010
This fall is turning out to be one of my busiest ever!
I have shows coming up on Nov, 4, 5, 6, 18, 26, 27
Dec 11, 18, 19
WHEW!

And if that's not enough, I hope to actually enjoy the season with my
husband, family and friends!

Check out info on my shows on my show/stores/galleries page
See you soon!

 

October 12, 2010
Been busy with some new stuff.  I had a suggestion from another artist from
the Mountain Arts Network to mount my glass tile pieces into frames.  I decided
to try it and actually loved the look.  It makes them look more like "art" in some
respects.  But what I like is that it simply gives me more avenues for mounting
and displaying. 
I hope you like them, too.

 

 

   

 

Also, I have been trying my hand at more animal images - coyotes (as below), owls,
eagles (as above) and other birds.

One more thing I have started are these little "mini's"
They are made from small drift wood pieces I collect and combine
to create little stands for my glass.  They range from about 3" to 5" wide.
The glass pieces would be small enough to be used as jewelry.
I just love them!


My new business card holder!


 

September 11, 2010
Some recent tiles mounted on wood:


"Scenic View"            "Colorations"                "Stately Pine"               "Maple Beauty"


"Tahoe Valley Sunset"
This one was the actual tree line view at our campsite in South
Lake Tahoe - Stunning!



September 6, 2010
Been so busy in the last few weeks!  Including taking a vacation to South
Lake Tahoe.  It was so pretty and very inspiring.
Although we live in a mountain community with a great variety of trees,
a lake and quaint towns and shops, it is always lovely visiting other similar
towns to see what's up.

Back at home, I bought some silver clay because the old man wanted a custom
made dog tag with his band logo.  Came out great and our calculations for the
shrinkage made it exactly the right size - yeah!
So, at the same time, I made myself some earrings and also a few little pieces
to add to glass for pendants to sell.  They came out very nice:

Although I don't make or sell much jewelry, I sometimes get the itch to try
something like this out.  I have them for sale at the Mountain Arts Gallery in
Lake Arrowhead, so we will see.

August 13, 2010

COASTERS!!

Each one is one-of-a-kind and they are so much fun to make!
I start with a dozen 4 x 4" squares of a background color (in this case
pale almond) and a dozen 4 x 4" squares of clear glass.  The clear glass is
cut to have the leaf shape hole in it.  Then I go to town filling the
leaf shape with different colors of frit.  The veins are black stringer
laid on top.  Then a coating of clear frit, then a full fuse firing.

August 9, 2010

Still working on painting around here.  I have always wanted to be able to paint in a
more realistic style rather than the more simplistic style that I usually use.
So, I started by printing some photographs from a non-copyright website.  Then did
a minor amount of tracing for the outlines and some detail.

From there I started as usual on the glass with black outlines, fired, then the
shading wash, fired, then the paint color and frit.  I really love how these
came out and am actually kind of proud of myself.  The bear and the fawn
are bigger pieces - each about 14" high and 12 to 14" wide.  I actually
sold the bear at the art show I did on Saturday evening and sold the fawn
to a friend that wanted a fawn as a gift for a friend of hers. 
Secretly, though, the chipmunk is my favorite.

 
"Dusk"                                                                 "Snack Time"

 
"Meadow"                                                                                              "Stately Bear"

Next I want to try one with a picture of my dogs.  I think if I can do pets
so that they are obviously someone's little loved furry one, there might be a market
for it.  And I do love animals!

July 24, 2010

Summer is humming along nicely here.  I have been out and about alot
canoeing, going to local events, working and covering my shift at the
gallery.
But, I have also been working on learning more about glass painting
and trying new techniques.  I purchased the book called "Bronwen Heilman:
Vitreous Glass Painting Techniques for Glass Beadmaking".  While I
obviously do not make beads, this book has given me lots of ideas
and shown me how to use paints with oil media. 
I just love her work.  You can see her website here with some of her
more recent work.  She appears to like working with recycled items and
the effects are stunning.

So, while I have some pieces in the kiln and some ideas brewing for more
I leave you with a recent bowl I made.  It is about 10"w x 3"d.  The image
is black paint surrounded by gradations of blue/purple frit and pieces
of dichroic chunky frit.


"Starry Night"

May 15, 2010
I sold that Maple Leaf plate from the last posting pretty darn quick.  Not sure if it was in the store
for even a day!  Cool, huh.

My display cabinet at the gallery before it opened

I did pretty good at the Spring Show last weekend.  Enough to buy more supplies and
maybe even something special for myself.  I had a lot of fun, met some new people and
learned more about old friends.
Here are some more mounted tiles I just finished.
 
This one is nice and tall - about 12 or 14 inches   This little pansy is small and cute - about 4" high

Almost forgot to mention some of the new boxes I made.  I have been incorporating painted and fired pieces
in the tops and decorative soldering to sparkle them up.  Sold the large green/yellow one and the
small purple leaf one at the show.  Love them!
   

April 24, 2010
I liked the way the daffodil slumped so much that I ended up doing some more rectangle plates
similarly.
This large leaf I had done just on clear glass some time ago and was not sure what else
to do with it.  I first fused it onto the persimmon colored glass that was the same
size and then thought it would look great with a black border, so fused it onto a piece of
black that was approx 1" wider all around.  I added
my signature in gold paint, then slumped it into the rectangle mold
that I created that is adjustable.  I really like this finished piece.

Approx. 10 x 12" x 1" deep.

I made this painted and frit picture of my cat Rustie to memorialize her
death last week.  The tile is about 5" x 7" and is mounted on a large rock.

 

April 17,2010
I ended up slumping the daffodil tile.  It is approx. 11-1/2 x 9-1/2" and about 1" deep.

I am really happy with the finished project.
I have also completed several more painted tiles and mounted them. 


These range between 4 and 6" wide and 6 to 9" high. I have 3 more on their last firing and will mount them today.
Can't wait to see people's reactions at the May art show over Mother's Day weekend.

April 4, 2010
I found a nice way to display some of my hand painted tiles.  I am using half
log pieces of pine from our mountain forest.  I have cut the log pieces by hand to
frame each piece perfectly.  The wood is lightly sanded and varnished for a pleasing
look and feel and the glass glued on securely.  I think it brings a really nice sense of
the mountain feel that I love to each piece.

 
Finished piece                                            Wood cut to size andready for varnishing

Here is the picture of the daffodil I made using the fritography technique.  I have used
a little bit of black paint to outline some of the areas and it is ready to be fired for the second
time.  You can see here also, the original picture I took to copy.

March 31, 2010
I have been so busy with knitting and quilting, glass has taken a back seat.  But I am
ready and willing to get right back in.  I have received my brand new copy of
Michael Dupille's  dvd on his fritography techniques and already started my first
piece.  I have not taken a picture yet, but need to get back and set up for my second
firing on it and will take a picture then.  I will post as soon as possible.

I will be showing and selling at the next Mountain Arts Network Spring Show
in May in Lake Arrowhead.  As soon as I have confirmed dates, times and place
I will update my show page.

January 30, 2010
 I received the new book by Richard LaLonde for Christmas last year and am having
so much fun with glass painting now.  I have been using glass paints for some time, but learned
quite a few new techniques and it just sparked my creativity for it again.  I have turned a couple
painted pieces into new box tops, but others I am simply framing as pieces of art.  I need to
get some more frames, but here you can get an idea of what I am talking about.


 This is a 4 x 6" frame and my glass piece is about 3" x 5-1/4"
You can also see here on the lower left corner is my new signature.
I have always struggled with how to sign my work.  The beauty of this
is that as I work the painted pieces in reverse, this is a fully reversible
signature!  Also, very "Frank Lloyd Wright" somehow.