Pittsburgh Photos and Comments Part 2

We'll try this again.
This is a acorn that Dante blew out of some little pieces that he fused together and blew.

Along beside it is a clear optic molded low bowl with a chartreuse lip wrap. There was just something about that piece that I really liked alot. Understated elegance maybe? That chartreuse color also really intrigued me. I remember seeing some of Dante's tall vases that were that color with a purple eggplant color. They really were beautiful and began looking then for that chartreuse color. I searched all the color places and didn't find anything called chartreuse. I just figured Dante had some special color made up that only he had. When he used this chartreuse color and said it was his favorite color (he indicated mainly because of the quality of the rod and the way it behaved, I asked him what it was. Z-94. It is not called chartreuse from the color company. I think they call it yellow-green. Which explains why I couldn't find it. I think chartreuse even sounds neat! Anyway the first thing I tried to make when I got back was a clear optic bowl with a chartreuse lip wrap. I may post a picture later. Turned out decent for me.









This is Dante and Janusz talking about what they are going to do next. Next is a clear optic on a blown foot with red wraps.


















The Red 8 handled vase I also got to hold while it was still warm! Dante used G-178 (Crimson) I believe. Beautiful!












This is a retticello "seed". Dante blows these "seeds", then anneals them and looks them over. If the air bubbles and lines are good enough then he heats it back up and will blow it out for something. In this case, it was beautiful. If I would have done it is would have been one of those "Look Mom!" pieces. But when you are on Dante's level, alas, not quite good enough. So Dante and Janusz pulled cane, and did another retticello piece, and annealed it. It was a keeper. Dante used it the next day to do a "leaf" thingy. I got to hold it when it was still warm out of the annealer.

Yes Virginia, I did feel special! It was really somethng to hold that expensive art still warm. Dante didn't even seem nervous as different ones of us were holding it!

This is Janusz picking out the pieces of cane for the new retticello "seed" and this is the cane on the pastorelli ready to go in the glory hole. They use 60 pieces of cane on each of the cups used for the retticello seed!