In the Studio

Having been completely focused on the work, I've been terribly slack with the uploads.

So I'm going to drip feed you the last week of the course.

Some fantastic studio pics by the marvelous Angus Mackay.

We had gorgous Carrie Fertig in to do a borosilicate demo. She "neoned" a small boro lamb.

She and Richard connected a single electrode to one of his feet, as opposed to the usual double-electrode you see in signage. The single electrode pieces are dimmer and the light responds when you touch the piece, similar to a lightening ball.

Connecting the electrode

Sacrificing the lamb to the Neon Gods --
Richard is heating the piece right up here to clean it of any impurities that will get sealed in there and degradate the neon over time.

Little Lamb, slightly glowing. Unfortunately the room was quite light so you can't quite get the full effect

Most days we've taken a stroll through town, up and down the coast line, to local forests or to the harbor to take photos and draw. These are some images Handsome Wil, our TA, took on our little treks.
(Wil's work is truly gorgeous, by the way. You should give it a look!)

"Mt. Microsoft Background" and Lybster Harbor

Out with our drawing boards and a little bridge that goes from nowhere to nowhere in the middle of an unused field

An abandoned farm house that we explored

Most nights we work through till 10 pm, but on this occasion we finished up a little early and chilled out with a glass of wine and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner - the #1 neon-famous film.
It was a well needed break - most of us crashed out 10 minutes into the film.

In the studio I've been ritualistically working on "Rituals". I'm falling in love with flame working! It's something I've never tried out before, because there's always been too many other things to do, but it's really clicking with me now that I've had the chance to commit some time to it!

This is my first one, processed and taken out into Lybster

Here's my little growing collection of Rituals, all lined up! I'm intending to make 9 - one for every day of the course.