Highlight of Pittsburgh trip!

The highlight of my trip was of course to meet Dante and Janusz and watch them work. I didn't know what kind of people they were. I was delighted to find them approachable, humble, and considerate. Dante was real candid about things. He didn't act like he had to impress anybody. He was not pretentous. I seemed to identify with Dante's attitude about a few things. He called a lot of what you hear artists talk about concerning how they came up with this or that about their art, "Drivel" and I walked away from the conversation thinking, "That's exactly the way I have thought before." Refreshing! A huge highlight of the trip was when, 3 other students, Wayne, Steve, & Josh and I actually got to eat with Dante and Janusz! We spent about 2 hours talking and eating together. I even got to sit by Dante during the meal. Huge deal. I know Andy thinks I am joking but, "It be the truth man!"

I was totally impressed with Dante and Janusz as glass blowers, but even more as people. Dante said he wouldn't set foot in Oklahoma with stopping by for pizza! I would like to continue the budding relationship in the future if given the opportunity.

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!

Pittsburgh Photos and Comments

Here are a few pictures and some relevent comments.
This is a picture of Wayne, who is from the Philly area - really friendly and a nice guy - we hung around a little. Note: I rotated the photo appropriately before I downloaded in the computer and it is still off. If I go in Photoshop and save the photo then it's allright - takes too long and I am in a hurry, It's 2:11 am and I have to be be at up at 5:30 am and be at the restaruant @ 6:00 am.

I stayed at the Omni in Pittsburgh - Really nice place. This is a picture of the lobby.

This is a picture of me (black clothes and red stripe in the shirt) and Scott Novota (Known as Gnat in the blogoshphere).
Scott was a really nice guy. I got to meet his wife known as Minimolly - (if I understand correctly, nicknamed that because she drive a mini-cooper and her name is Molly) and also got to meet Corkchop - I think thats Gnat's boss at work.

I will post more later. The pictures quit uploading. sat there for 35 minutes and still wouldn't upload. One reason I don't post more often!
Bye for now.
CM

Back From Pittsburgh

Hello everybody! I have been really busy since I got back from Pittsburgh. Busy trying to catch up at Italian Jim's Pizzeria. Busy, endeavoring to put into practice a little of what I learned in Pittsburgh. I don't really have time to post tonight. I have an early morning in the morning. I will post a little later and report on the Dante Marioni and Janusz Posniak class and what it was like meeting these two great glassblowers and great people! I got to meet Gnat, Mini-molly, and Corkchop who have posted here. I got to meet Wayne from Penn., Josh, from the studio where Bruce Ferguson operates out of and a number of really nice people. Well, don't get me started. . . too late! But anyway it was a great trip and experience - I will write more about that later. Just wanted to post something since it had been so long. I will post pictures from my new camera of the workshop that I attended and some other stuff.
I'll be back. (read as Arnold Schwarznegger)
CM

Whew! - I can almost see Pittsburgh!

Hello everybody. I haven't had much time to blow glass. I have worked on a few cabinet drawer pulls - now I can't find my little brass inserts and $40 diamond bit to drill in the knobs to insert the brass inserts- I'm sure I put the drill bit in a safe place where I wouldn't lose it. I'll find it. Someday.

I've done a few commissioned light fixtures for Dr. Stewart in Shawnee. His light fixtures are the best in Shawnee. If you don't believe me, just ask me. "Yep thats right, they are the best!" - See I told you so.

I've worked a little bit on some other things for people. (people are buying other people gifts and in case the person who is to receive the gift is reading this I don't want to give it away by telling what I am working on)

I've worked a little bit on some vases to kind've warm up and improve my basic skills so I won't look like a complete idiot to Dante and the rest of the workshop people. (workshop info down lower)

As I have mentioned earlier, I am going to Pittsburgh for the Glass Art Society conference ( A big, once a year thing for glass blowers- kind've like a glass blowers convention I guess). You get to see a lot of demonstrations and techniques and tools and people. If I get time, I will try to go see Frank Lloyld Wright's "Fallingwater" house. I'm sure I will have plenty of time to relax. Yeah, right! Still, if I get time I would really like to tour that.

The big highlight for me is I am signed up for a 3 day workshop, 9 am - 10 pm by Dante Marioni and Janusz Pozniak. The way I understand it is that Dante Marioni is arguably the best glass blower(at what he does) in the United States. Janusz is not far behind if any. Look at their stuff.
Dante Marioni
Janusz Pozniak
INSANE!
AMAZING!
WOW!
UNBEEELIEVVABLE!
From what I hear, Dante doesn't give workshops very often. A rare and unparalleled opportunity! I'm pretty confident that I will probably be the least experienced glassblower in the workshop. A little intimidating to say the least. However, I intend on rising to the occassion and meeting the challange with excellence in every way. Those of you waiting on me to make some of your stuff. . . the good part is I will be better when I get back . . . that means your stuff will be better. Please continue to be patient.
For those of you who I got to and made your stuff before I left. . . you got screwed! (JUST JOKING!!!!!!)

Gnat, if you see this post before the conf. I would like to meet you in person. I should have my cell phone. The number is 405-659-6169, give me a call and we'll try to get together. I'll be staying at the Omni William Penn Hotel during the conference and at a little bed and breakfast kind of place during the Dante workshop (It's closer to the workshop)

We have been so busy at Italian Jim's Pizzeria I just haven't had time to really prepare like I wanted to. We had 15 caterings today alone! We have 11 tomorrow. My day starts around 5 am and generally doesn't end until after 1 or 2 am. We are on pace for another record breaking month! We are doing over 60% more than our record breaking month of March 2006! We are glad for the business! Well, I have to be up before 5 am this morning (4 hours to sleep). I still have to get packed. I plan on packing everything I need in one carry-on bag. We'll see how that materializes. Don't know If I will be able to post (or have anything worth posting) before the conference.

I will leave OKC Sunday morning at 7:30 am and fly SWA to Phoenix, then nonstop to Pittsburg. Then fly back next Sunday. I'll be gone one week. Linda, Micah, Krista, Kim, and Anna and all the Italian Jim's employees will help hold down the Italian Jim's fort while I'm gone.

Congratulations to Andy Boatman and the crew @ Blue Sage Studios on the Open House over the 3 day memorial weekend.
Linda, Micah and Anna, and I went over there and helped Andy celebrate. His new place on 1218 N. Western, is really nice. Not as nice as Andy, but it's really nice.

To those of you on the fence about commisioning me to blow stuff for you call before I leave for Pittsburgh, cause after the Dante class, prices automatically go up through the roof! Just joking! Most everthing will still be under $1000. (ha ha)

Bye for now.
CM

New Work

Plum and Gnat, thanks for the nice words. Here's some more new things. One is a saffron platter with a florence lip wrap and body wrap. The other is a light fixture that is pink with G-50 Black body wrap - then optic molded - then twisted (to make the fishnet pattern - and blown out with a G-50 black lip wrap. Thanks to Bruce Ferguson for teaching us how to do that "fishnet" thing last year!

Finally Pictures!

Wow, what an ordeal. Most all of this I had taken up to our restaurant (Italian Jim's Pizzeria - located at 342 S. Mustang Rd., Yukon, OK 73099 - 405-265-0919) - ( Yes, shameless plug! ) where I display and use as a retail outlet for Bella Forte Glass.

I had to bubble wrap, put in boxes, load in pickup, carry home, take out of pickup, carefully unwrap, clean with glass cleaner,(still missed a few spots), go to Home Depot, buy more lighting, come back home, install new lighting, photograph, wrap up, load pictures on computer, upload on blogger, load in pickup, take back to pizza shop, yeah, you get the picture. Note to self, "Next time, TAKE PICTURES BEFORE TAKING THEM TO THE DOGGONE PIZZA SHOP!"
Anyway, I like the "Gold Ruby Extra" pieces with the "Florence" interior and accents. This was the first time I had used the Gold Ruby Extra - A new favorite color!
Sorry the photograph of the Violet Blue Bowl with the lapis blue lip wrap was washed out - The Cerulean Blue with florence set is a favorite as well. The Saffron platter was okay, I liked the saffron really well but should have chosen another color for the lip wrap. (Brain freeze!) The last photo is Old Gold Transparent with lemon yellow body wrap & red lip wrap.