"The Long Journey Home"
by Leslie Rowe-Israelson
and Melanie Rowe
click on any image to enlarge
This residency was a continuation of a get-together that Patty Gray organized
in 2006 called the Fish Chicks, and I felt it so important to finish what all 6 of us
began. (Patty Gray, Melanie Rowe, Becky Bergsma, Amanda McBride and Sandra Tomey)
It was a wonderful sharing of ideas and creating fish of all shapes and sizes and
then going back to our own studios to finish the pieces.
50 degrees per hour to 250 F - hold 12 hours
40 degrees per hour to 300 F - hold 5 hours
50 degrees per hour to 1220 F. hold 4 hours
200 degrees per hour to 1480 - hold 4 hours
200 degrees per hour to 1180 - hold 4 hours
250 degrees per hour to 950 - anneal 24 hours
1 degree per hour from 950 to 760
2 degree per hour from 760 to 660
5 degree per hour from 660 to 70
Total - 24 Days
Creation of large waxs
Attaching feet to the wax so the glass will stand well
Large wax of fish with more detail and stones
Building clay dam so the mold material will be 1 inch thickness all the way around
Using a flat board that I have sprayed with Universal Spray release gives a nice bottom to the mold
#1 Pottery Plaster/Silica Mold with Uroboros Glass Mix on the outer layer for strength for the large mold
When working with such a large mold it is important to cushion the mold on foam (I used children's floatation pieces as the foam is thick and does not melt while steaming out, and the foam application is duck taped to strong boards to be able to move the large mold around. It is placed over a stainless steel sink that I found at the dump that catchs the wax and water so you can re-constitute the wax.
Steam out of wax on homemade set-up for this large piece.
Wax Steamed out of mold and clean up will begin so no wax is left
Down at Uroboros Glass Comp. in large Euclid Kiln I am placing the frit
Placing more frit for colour placement
More glass and billets to fill up mold
Lorna is looking into molds before the lid goes down
Molds in kiln with glass melted
Jason (Uroboros Artist Assistant) and I demolding. He is a wonderful young man
Photo of the large fish sculpture but still needs to be washed better
Close-up of fish, and the glass flowed nicely
