Artifacts Photos

Picture #1 is the Opal Nile Green on the inside and G-50 Black on the outside with #3 Opal Nile Green Frit sprinkled on the outside also. The tallest one is about 8" and the shortest one is about 5 inches.

Picture #2 is the same series with the funky flower/leaf thing that coordinates with it.

Picture # 3 is 2 vases with the G-50 Black base and R-120 Curry body and lip wrap. I love the curry/black combination. I call it part of the "Tiger Stripe" Series. They are both about 12-13 inches tall. The bigger one is about 5 inches wide at the mouth.

Picture #4 is another artifacts series with G-103 Latte on the inside with G-50 Black on the outside with specks of #3 Frit sprinkled on. ( I may retake some of these pictures. After looking at them, I don't like the angle I shot them from. I think it would show them better from an angle not so high up.)

I want to do some more different things of the same color combos to add to each series.

Artifacts Again!

The last 2 nights, Linda, Micah, and I had some success with the artifact series again. When tonight's' work comes out of the annealer tomorrow @ about 3:30 - 4:00 pm I am hoping to see 2 sets of the "Artifacts Series". On one set I blew a Opal Nile Green on the inside and G-50 black solid with #3 Opal Nile Green Frit applied sparingly on the outside. The other set is "Latte" on the inside and Gaffer G-50 Black with #3 spots on the outside to coordinate with the Latte on the inside. If you can't picture it yet I will hopefully post pictures in a day or two or three or four.

The Gaffer G-50 Black vase with the "Diablo Red" body wrap and lip wrap that I posted recently was really liked by a few people. I have already sold it to someone and could have sold it about 4 more times. So tonight I made a G-50 Black vase with a "Curry" lip and body wrap. Did some more platters for the fancy wall at the restaurant. Blew my wife a pen holder for her desk. I can't wait to see them tomorrow. I can't wait to take their pictures and post them. Very Cool!

See ya,
CM

Some New Work

Picture #1
Here's a vase with different colors on outside and inside.


Picture #2
Here's a vase with a new technique Micah and I have learned. It's called "Threading".


Picture #3
Here's a red platter.

I'm getting ready to revive "The Artifacts" Series. Coming soon. Not much for words today. Really busy!
Thanks for reading.
CM

Bruce Ferguson!

I'm just now getting around to posting this, but about 3 weeks ago, Micah and I were honored to have Bruce Ferguson down from Virginia to our humble studio and show us some new techniques. Bruce is an accomplised glass blower and teacher. He assists Bill Gudenrath on occassion @ the Corning School of Glass.

Here are some pictures.

Update On What's Happening

Micah and I went over to Andy Boatman's Studio, "Blue Sage Studios" last week and saw his new furnace. A very fine piece of equipment! It was really good to be over a Blue Sage once again. That is the nicest studio! We got to meet Bruce Ferguson, an accomplished glassblower and glassblowing teacher from Virginia. Bruce works at the FAA and is in OKC for a week or two doing whatever it is the FAA people do to stay current. Bruce showed us some new techniques, some of which we have tried with a small measure of success already! Bruce is supposed to come over to Bella Forte Glass Studio and check out our place and do a little bit of glass blowing over here. We can't wait!

I have been so busy at the restaurant. I've been putting in about 85 - 90 hours each week. My workout time has gone to a big fat ZERO for the last 4 weeks. Looking forward to getting back in the gym and getting lean again! (Sometime soon I hope) March 6th was our 10 year anniversary! We just finished March and it was our biggest month in our 10 year history! A NEW RECORD! Who-aaah! As I have mentioned earlier, we have doubled the square footage of our restaurant and are in the process of doing the remodel. Micah and I have done all of the remodel ourselves with the exception of the electrical and some floor work. Most all of the kitchen part is complete and we have been working on the dining room area.

I am going to have a new retail area for Bella Forte Glass Studios in the restaurant. It is going to be really nice and attractive. We are going to do some innovative things to display the glass. I have taken a few "before" and "during" pictures so far and will take some "after" pictures when it's done and post them. But you really need to come see the progress when it gets done. Last night Micah and I did more drywall and we started painting. That new airless paint sprayer is worth the money!

I blew some commissioned light fixtures for some very nice folks in the "Rivendale" addition in Moore. I've sold some more things in the restaurant. Micah and I have been blowing glass to decorate the new retail space at Italian Jim's Pizzeria in between commission pieces. I just got some new dichroic glass in yesterday and will be doing some commission pieces with it. Can't hardly wait.

If you get a chance stop Italian Jim's at 342 S. Mustang Road @ Reno and Mustang Road in the Yukon area, have a look at the glass and eat a pizza or a sub or a pasta or a dessert or a etc…

See ya later.
CM

More Pictures! - Upload fixed

Hello,

Here's some of our newest work.

I told you that I was commissioned to blow some wall art for the new Bank 2 location in Yukon. Some of these platters are the ones that have made the cut. Some still made the cut but are going in our restaurant - Italian Jim's Pizzeria @ 342 S. Mustang Rd. in Yukon Ok.


This Cerulean Blue piece is about 19 inches x 17 inches and has a Diablo Red lip wrap and is optic molded with a twist in the optic mold pattern.


This piece is about 24 inches x 22 inches and is Cherry Red with a few chunks of yellow and a bright yellow lip wrap. It is one of my favorite.


This piece is about 17 inches x 18 inches with Brilliant Yellow, optic molded with a twist, and a Diablo Red lip wrap- Also a favorite.


Micah got me a kilo of Cerulean Blue for Christmas. This is the first piece we did with it. We love this color - we added a few chunks of #3 frit Canary Yellow to this. It's about 16 inches x 15 inches.


This is Opal White iwth #2 Frit of Cherry Red, #3 Frit of Canary Yellow, and maybe some #2 Frit of Lapis Blue. It's 24 inches x 17 inches.


This one is Adventurine Green in the center, with Bristol Green on the outside edges surrounded with a Diablo Red lip wrap. I wanted to do the whole thing heavy in Adventurine Green and tried to do so, but it was so stiff I had trouble working it. It's about 17 inches x 17 inches. The picture doesn't do the Adv. Green justtice. You ought to see it in the sunlight.


This Bowl is Cerulean Blue with an Adventurine swirl in it. It is about 14 inches across. That Cerulean Blue is very pretty.


This vase is Cerulean Blue with a Cherry Red lip wrap and a dropped foot. It stands about 14 inches tall.


This vase is what I blew for my wife, Linda for Valentines Day. It is about 15 inches tall and is cream with a garnet body wrap.


If you click on this picture and look close, you will see a very fine "thread" of light biege "threaded" around this piece. It is Gaffer 50 - Black in powder form with the biege thread and lip warp. You ought to see the "threading" process. It's awesome to watch. Micah and I made it look easy,.


This piece is part of the "Tiger Stripe" series. It is black with a Curry body wrap and a Curry lip wrap. The threads on this piece are a little thicker and you can easily feel the texture of the thread around the vase. It's about 12 inches tall.


These are our flowers, "one or two steps removed from nature." Have stems about 13' long on them. We think they are pretty cool. We are gonna practice doing these until we make some really, really, really good-looking ones. (DZ)


This little piece is kind've cute. It's Lapis Blue with a cream thread "noodled" on, spun out and swung to get that fluted look. It's about 10 inches tall.

Heap big thanks to wife, Linda and boy, Micah for being great helpers. Bye for now - keeping the furnace hot!
CM

Class in Wichita

Last month Linda and I went to Wichita Kansas and took a glass fusing class for a couple of days at Wichita Center for the Arts. Kim Hughes taught the class. We went, we learned, we fused, we had a great time. Here's a photo of Linda getting everything juuussst right.