Boro News Newsletter - Northstar Glassworks

Boro News Newsletter
July / August 2005
ISSUE 32
Photography and Layout by:
Bettina Hajagos
Written by:
Jesse Kohl and Bettina Hajagos
Questions?
Call Toll Free
1-866-684-6986
or visit us on the web at
www.northstarglass.com
Gathering 2005
Race-horses stand aside –
Kentucky is a hotbed of torch
activity this summer! July marks
the start of the Derby Parade –
hats decorated with blown beads
by some of the world’s hottest
glass bead-make rs. The annual
ISGB Gathering is taking place in
Louisville, Kentucky July 28-31.
This three-day event includes the
Derby, a soft-glass Flame-Off, and
the Silly Bead Contest, to the
theme of Kentucky Fried Beads.
Beads from the Derby Hats and
Flame-Off will be sold in a silent
auction on Saturday, with proceeds
going to ISGB educational programs.
Lauri Copeland, Doni
Hatz, and Jesse Kohl will be representing the borosilicate community with demos and workshops
throughout the eve n t . Lauri
Copeland’s class will focus on the
luminous qualities of boro, while
Doni Hatz teaches students to
m a ke hollow beads, filigrana
canes, and marbles. Jesse Kohl –
who is also manning the Northstar
booth during the weekend – will
be teaching the John Burton
method of bead-making while
sharing his knowledge of
Borocolour® patterns and color
chemistry. See you there!
For more information, visit
http://www.isgb.org
Artwork by:
FIGURE 1:
The Wanderers –
unique color scheme.
Cara Spangler
Leilani Glass
We at Northstar are a committed
team of skilled craftspeople who strive to
make the highest quality and most diverse color
palette on the market. Many of our staff are lampworkers themselves, who through their glassworking
experience impart their knowledge in the making of
better color. One sentiment shared by all at the company is the excitement of seeing beautiful objects created
with our color. A fine example of an artist whose work
explores the uniqueness of the borosilicate palette
is Cara Spangler of Leilani Glass in
Oceanside, CA. Cara has had an artistic
flare since childhood and has involved
herself in many different avenues of
artistic mediums, from acting, to
stage production, to ceramics, and
curre n t ly glass. Cara explains,
“Glass, especially borosilicate, is an
excellent medium with which I can
explore my creativity and share it with
the world. My favorite things about working with glass are the beautiful liquid qualities
and the rich and vibrant color palette.”
What is clearly evident in Cara’s beads is her
attention to detail. Her beads are cleanly formed and
her control over the color is excellent. Cara says,
“The magic of borosilicate color is what has drawn me;
I have been so intrigued by colors in nature since my
youth.The colors I can achieve with boro are so similar
to colors in the gemstones and minerals that have continued to keep me fascinated and inspired. Colors you
might find in nature, such as the colors of a seaweed
forest, of a rainforest waterfall with bright pink plumeria trees blooming beside are often found in my
beads.”
Cara notes, “I do not consider beads
my sole artistic venture. I am always thinking
of new things to make, and in the future I
plan on exploring a multi-media approach.”
We look forward to seeing more.
To view Cara’s artwork, visit her on eBay. Her
eBay ID is Leilani_Glass.
FIGURE 2:
Liquid Desert Sky –
NS-44 Caramel, NS49 Double Amber
Purple, NS-13 Amber
Purple, NS-09 Yellow,
and NS-34 Extra Light
Yellow
FIGURE 3:
In Forest Currents –
NS-15 Turquesa, NS-09
Yellow
FIGURE 4:
She Lies – NS-91
Nija, NS-87 Garnet
Dark, and NS-34
Extra Light Yellow
FIGURE 5:
Truth in Moons – unique
color scheme.
Artwork by:
Jesse Kohl
FIGURE 1
The largest vessel of the three is 2.5” in height.
These pieces were made by coiling a layer of
NS-89 Nile over a base coat of NS-81 Blue
Caramel. NS-91 Ninja and NS-43 Rust were
trailed over the surface to
create the organic effect.
FIGURE 4
Detail of Fig. 2.The solid lid
has a clear stopper, which is
slightly oblong, creating the
‘locking’ effect.
I have always had a fascination
with small ceramic jars and urns with
intricate handmade, fitted lids. Most glass
urns and jars that I have encountered are
often fitted with wood or cork stoppers.
Having a lid of the same material is aesthetically pleasing and crafting one is a
worthy technical pursuit so I decided to
give glass lids a try. There are numerous
means of going about this process. For larger vessels, blown lids are most viable for size and weight
considerations. For vessels of a more modest size, such
as those pictured in this newsletter,
solid lids are more facile.
There are several ways to make a
well-fitted lid. The first that I
tried involved working the
lid in with silicon carbide
grinding compound. This
method is identical to the
fitting of ground glass
stoppers, and while it does
produce a good seal, it is
labor intensive. The method that I
finally settled on to make a ‘locking’ glass lid involved
shaping the lip of the urn and the plug that sat in it. By
making both the lip and plug slightly oblong, the lid
can be inserted into the lip of the urn and twisted
clockwise or counterclockwise approximately thirty
degrees until it is locked in place (see Fig. 4). With
relative ease, a good fit can be made. By no means is
the urn hermetically sealed, but if done meticulously,
the lid can safely hold the urn itself.
Aside from the technical design elements,
these pieces demonstrate some of the many possibilities that the Northstar Exotics and earthtones possess.
Note the ceramic quality this family of color produces.
The three urns pictured in Fig. 1 were created by overlaying NS-89 Nile on a solid base coat of NS-81 Blue
Caramel.The surface was trailed with NS-91 Ninja and
NS-43 Rust. The urn pictured in Fig. 2 was made by
encasing a solid base coat of NS-81 Blue Caramel in
NS-29 Red Exotic. The surface of the urn was trailed
with NS-54 Star White, NS-81 Blue Caramel, and NS13 Amber Purple.The urn shown in Fig. 3 was created
by encasing a base coat of NS-44 Caramel with a layer
of NS-28 Blue Exotic. The surface of the urn was
trailed with NS-83 Skyline, NS-81 Blue Caramel, NS69 Green Amber Purple, and NS-89 Nile.
Both the urns pictured in Figs. 2 and 3 were
flame struck and flame annealed.The key to achieving
a bright metallic finish with the Exotics is to work
them in an extremely oxidized flame until the piece is
completed. If the flame is adequately oxidizing, the worked Exotics should retain the
original color of the rod. Only upon
b athing them in a reducing flame
should the surface come alive with
brilliant metallic hues. If the
Exotics are reduced as the piece is
being worked, too much metal can
deposit on the surface, the result of
which can cause a dull matte gray
color.To strike the Exotic, simply
bathe it in a bu s hy, superreducing flame ‘till the piece
barely glows.Take it out of the
flame and examine it. Repeat
the process until the desired
hue is achieved. For additional information about applying and working the
Exotics, refer to our past
Newsletter issues. [See
issues 1 and 18]
Keep it hot,
Jesse
FIGURE 2
3” tall, the vessel was made by layering NS-29 Red Exotic over a base of
NS-81 Blue Caramel. NS-54 Star
White, NS-81 Blue Caramel, and NS13 Amber Purple were trailed over
the surface.
FIGURE 3
3.75” tall. Not visible in the photograph, this vessel
has an iridescence reminiscent of an oil slick due to
the metal deposits on its surface. The base color is
made by coiling NS-28 Blue Exotic over NS-44
Caramel.The vessel was then trailed with NS-83
Skyline, NS-81 Blue Caramel, NS-69 Green Amber
Purple, and NS-89 Nile.
Northstar T-shirts
Now available! Northstar t-shirts in four adult sizes (S, M, L, XL).These “tees” are
available in Northstar colors NS-76 Onyx and NS-01 Cobalt for $12.00 each.
They will not be available from your distributor, so call us at (866) 684-6986 or email us at customerservice@northstarglass.com to get yours today!