Open Studio Tour push

There is a city wide Open Studio Tour in Philadelphia every year.  It is an excellent opportunity to have folks come and see what you are all about.  This one was particularly special, since I am leaving Philadelphia in two weeks.  I took the opportunity to create a gallery space out of my studio, showcasing sculpture I have created, as well as the new product line and workshops.  It was a fabulous weekend, the weather was perfect & the vibe was overwhelmingly positive.

Getting to that point was intense, both physically and emotionally. Here is a link to a series of photos that speak for themselves: click HERE!

Shedding and Condensing

In other news- the Studio Sell-off began two weekends ago - many objects and tools have left the building, still a bit to go, but the majority is gone.  The reality of the size of my little truck is starting to sink in.  I have mocked up the space I have to deal with.

The blue chalk lines on the wall and the white chalk lines on the floor are the parameters.  48" wide, 60" long, 36" high in front, 42" high in the back.  The challenge is to condense everything into this.
Here's a photo of what "everything" was:

The good thing is that at this point I feel somewhat removed from most of the Stuff. I am now in the mode of transition into the new.  There is a life long collection of objects to let go of - memories ingrained in each.  Most of it has been unearthed, brought out to the surface and released.  Some of it lingers.  There is something about the energy that objects absorb. There is the stuff that was put into the object when it was created, then there is the stuff that collects over the years.  I have noticed that some objects lose their potency over time, and some that become more powerful.  The Temptation is to trash it all and walk away.  The Reality is that a lot of it will be very useful for the beginning of the Journey.  Since I have put strict limitations on space & storage (i am only storing a desk my grandfather made, and tax materials) I must sift through everything.
     Fortunately I have had help from friends with this process up to this point.

Mold Blowing Workshop Day 2

     Day 2 was a blast.  Now that we have our molds made, time to blow them & see what happens.  Each mold has its own little tricks that you have to figure out.  Some you win & some you don't.  There are molds that I have that have taken a couple dozen attempts to figure out.
      One of the highlights of the second day was the appearance of some molds made of ice, generously molded and donated by Ice Sculptor Rob Capone of Ice Bars Luges and Logos.  That was a new experience for all parties involved.  The molds held up way better than any of us expected.  As Fern put it - "The ice affected the glass more than the glass affected the ice."
     It was a very exciting class for everyone, and I will be hosting another at East Falls Glassworks when I make my way back East next summer.  Here is a link to Photos from Day 2:  Boing!!

   

First Day of the First Mold Making and Blowing Workshop

   The first workshop was a blast.  We spent the morning discussing the aspects of the various molds of mine, the ones that work as well as those that do not.  Demonstrated several of them, pointing out the differences in the set up for each particular design.  Then the fun began.
   Each person in the workshop had a different approach and seemed to identify with different materials (I showed up with a variety of interesting shapes of different materials to help inspire). We spent the day helping each other, which was a fantastic way to get a little bonding action in prior to getting into the Hot Shop.
  Here is a link to a slide show (with captions) of the first day : East Falls Glassworks Day 1

Getting Ready for the Big Adventure

It is getting very close to the time that I would like to take off.  Things always take more time than you think they will.  Not to mention that during the process of going through everything I own, I keep coming across these great objects that want to become finished sculpture. "Just a couple more hours and this one will be finished" could turn out to be aborted plans for the Adventure, if I am not careful!  The beauty of this is that I am not laboring of minute design decisions for very long - I simply do not have enough time. 3-D sketching.

Then there is all that stuff from former lives that has been in a box because you jut don't want to face it.  Begin the burn pile.  Letting go. After all, I only have about 100 cubic feet to put everything into.  Most of that is going to be glassblowing molds, sculpting tools & the things I will need to live on the road (or more accurately, the things I THINK I am going to need to live on the road).

All THAT aside, I have been up to some really fun stuff.  The Made In China Studio product line & push has been invigorating - seeing things materialize & make the transition from idea to reality feels great.  The technology end of things has a little catching up to do, but I will get there very shortly.

East Falls Glassworks hosted my first Mold making and Blowing Workshop two weeks ago.  We spent two days creating glassblowing molds from all kinds of materials. There were four students, and five different kinds of molds.  One piece Graphite, Wet clay (which none of us actually ever tried before), all Steel, a wood, steel, and graphite, and Ice. Yes, Ice.  If you have never blown glass into Ice before, I highly recommend it.

I will get rest of the pics and video on here in as soon as I figure that part out.