FOXY Fusions Blog

As the school year begins, I am busy with preparations for leading this year’s Reflections program at my sons’ elementary school. I just love inspiring young minds!

For those of you that may not know about it, Reflections is a national PTA program designed to give students an opportunity to explore and learn about various art forms including music, photography, visual art and literature. Every year they have a theme, and this year’s theme is “Beauty Is….” Take a look at the website (www.pta.org) and view the slideshow of the artwork that won top awards last year. These kiddos are amazing!

At our school, we will show off our kids’ creativity in a two-week exhibit of entries down the main hallways. It’s a great way to get those beginner artists used to public commentary (which is not always nice by the way!) and being on display~! And it’s good for inspiring the kids that didn’t create an entry too…maybe next year they will!

When it comes to fused glass, there are countless approaches people use to create kiln-fired pieces. But it really boils down to this: do you prefer creation by accident, or by design?

Let’s consider the importance of personality in answering this question. For example, I am a control freak and totally obsessive-compulsive…(although I have an uncanny ability to ignore a mess in my house … hmmmm … contradiction!).  So venture a guess as to the type of creation I prefer.

If you guessed “by design”….You are RIGHT! I like to think that I planned for my work to come out of the kiln that way. I like structure, intentional design, and reproducible results. I willingly accept the “chaos” inherent with glass that each piece will slump differently in the kiln, have a different section of dichroic glass that changes the color…in essence, that each piece will be unique. But with creation by design, your work comes out of the kiln reasonably close to how you intended it to look.

Creation by accident is really fun for those who generally like to leave things to chance. I can’t describe this person very well because I simply don’t understand them from my OCD perspective, but it seems they actually enjoy letting go. One way to create by accident with fused glass is to do a pot melt. The result is a fully fused block of glass with completely random patterns and colors that formed by accident as the glass melted and dripped down to the kiln shelf. Another way of doing this is by layering glass on top of a sheet of steel mesh that is suspended between two kiln blocks inside the kiln. The glass drips down through the mesh as it melts, forming random patterns and swirls of color.

So as I try to grow as an artist, I realize I do need to accept a little accident into my life. I do think the pot melting technique produces interesting results … maybe you’ll see it emerge as a planned element in my future designs!

I really like getting my glass hot…but sometimes, I don’t want it to get too hot because I like retaining a structure for my designs. For example, I’m careful not to heat my FOXY Rectangle designs too hot or too long because I want to retain that clean linear shape, that picture frame effect between the bottom and middle layers is soooo satisfying to me. So for my FOXY Rectangles, I use a tack fuse. This means I heat the layered pieces of glass until the glass just sticks together, allowing each layer of glass to keep its own individual texture, shape, and character. Every kiln is different (I told you this wasn’t going to be easy!) so for my environment, this means I don’t heat the glass hotter than 1450 degrees…and I don’t let it soak longer than a few minutes. The longer glass soaks at a hot temperature, the more it wants to round out the corners…and I want my rectangles to be rectangles!

For my FOXY Circles, my methodology is completely different. I need all the layers of glass to completely melt and fuse together, forming a block with a flat rounded surface, in what is called a full fuse. A full fuse occurs somewhere between 1450 and 1550 degrees, and the glass needs to soak a long time to fully bond together, and then it needs to anneal a long time as the temperature reduces to let the glass settle. After I’ve made the block of glass, I use a drill press to core out the circle pendants, I coldwork the pendants using a glass grinder to give them a nice shape, and then I refire the pendants using a fire polish. A fire polish heats the glass to its melting point to give it a shiny appearance, getting rid of those rough edges from coring and cold-working the glass to form the pendants. Typically, a fire polish is somewhere between 1300 to 1400 Fahrenheit.

I hope this has helped you understand a little bit more about what I do to create FOXY Fusions designs!

The glass I use starts out as sheets of hard, breakable stuff. So how do I make this very hard material change shape, become malleable, and permanently stick to other layers of glass? The trick is to heat the glass in a kiln to such high temperatures that the glass actually melts. But there’s more to it (it’s never that simple is it?)…

Some glass cannot ever fuse together. Here’s why: when the glass melts, it expands; when it cools, it contracts. This rate of expansion/contraction is actually what determines whether one sheet of glass will bond to another sheet of glass. It’s called the Coefficient of Expansion or COE.

Not all sheets of glass have the same COE, and you can’t bond two sheets of glass together unless they have the same COE. If you try to bond glass of different COE, the project will crack when it cools because the sheets of glass will each contract at their own special rates…which won’t be the same. So the first clue to making sure that layers of glass will fuse in the kiln after they’ve melted is to use the same COE for all glass in your project. I use glass with a COE of 90.

By the way, this is also why I can’t use scraps of recycled glass for my projects…even though I’d love to do it…because they’re not COE 90 and won’t fuse to the dichroic and other fusible glass that I use.

When glass is heated, it softens and if more heat is applied, it begins to melt and flow. When two or more pieces of glass are heated together at first they will stick, or tack together. When heated further, they will melt together, flatten out, and become one solid piece of glass.

Once layers of glass are fused together, they do not spontaneously unfuse. If layers of glass separate after having been fused together, it is because the piece was traumatized by some kind of force (like dropping on the floor) and the point of breakage will be the weakest area near the impact.

I once had a customer find me at a show and tell me her FOXY Rectangle pendant spontaneously split into the 3 layers. Since I know glass does not unfuse once fused, I knew right away the piece had been dropped or banged against something.  Still, an unhappy customer is not very FOXY, so I offered her a very significant discount towards a new piece. My customers must be FOXY at all times!

If you have a FOXY Rectangle that has split cleanly upon impact into the respective layers, it is possible that I can refire and repair the piece. Send me a photo and I’ll give you my expert opinion. Worst case, you’ll get a hefty discount on a new piece!

If you have a FOXY Circle that has fallen and broken or been chipped, I may be able to refire it as well and fix it. These actually are a little easier to repair…so send a photo if you need this service.

As I sent my kiddos off to school this week, I was thinking about fall fashion for girls. Here’s some FOXY items my 17yr old daughter, Shana, thinks are awesome for pre-teen through college.

Mini-Circle Pendants

At just $25, these mini-circle pendants are just fab for younger femme fatales….I wrap a leather cord through the center of this 1″ pendant and include the sterling silver clasp. The mini-circle pendant can be ordered in any of the 28 FOXY Circle styles! And since these pendants anneal a really long time in the kiln, they’re pretty tough. (Still..try not to bang or drop them!)

FOXY Bracelets

The FOXY Fusions bracelets are awesome on any size wrist! Links can be removed from the standard 7.5″ length to snug up to a smaller girly wrist, or you can order the 8″ length for the “I’m all that and more!” FOXY lady! Try this on for some funky fall purple and green! These bracelets are pretty darned resilient…even customers with the most active lifestyles tell me that FOXY holds up.

Ring Bling!

FOXY Rectangle - Sunset #5

What self-respecting hand talking female does not like some ring bling??? Ive got lots of different rings for your fingers at FOXY Fusions! It’s all  set up so you can order a square ring in any of the FOXY Rectangle styles for your young woman…all rings are adjustable and fit ring sizes 6-10. I’m still working on the FOXY Rings page, so visit the FOXY Rectangles to order rings…or contact me to order a circle ring!

If you need a smaller size, I do have  a small ring blank that fits size 4-7. Custom order by emailing me using the form on the FOXY website.

A key fall 2009 fashion trend is sparkle and shine…how perfect for dichroic fused glass! So how can you incorporate a little sparkle and shine into your wardrobe this fall?

Well, one hot look for the fall is the monochromatic look with a little sparkle to add dramatic accent. So choose a blouse and casual work trouser in neutrals like gray and black, and then add a splash of color and sparkle with a dichroic FOXY Fusions pendant.

Or put on some artistically ripped jeans with a solid color shirt in a smoky blue, and accent with a FOXY Fusions belt buckle (new for the fall!).  A little sparkle goes a long way!

I’ll also be designing some big hoop earrings for this fall. I was inspired by so many customers wondering if my circle pendants were earrings that it finally sunk in—you want some BIG GLASS HOOPS to adorn your lovely ears! They’re comin’…

Watch this recap of 2009 New York Fashion Week to get some visuals of fall fashions coming your way: Top Fall 2009 Fashion Trends

And check these articles:

- Celebrity Style: Fall Fashion Trends for 2009

- Beauty Biz: Fashion Trends for Fall 2009

Expect to see classic clothing with earth tones this fall in browns, yellows, oranges, and greens with muted solids enhanced by slightly louder colors in reds, oranges and blues. Emphasize your spirit of exploration and experimentation by accenting these solids with some brighter but sophisticated FOXY Fusions designs…

For a more “chic” look, seek out designs with deep blues and pinks that have a stormy look to them and contrast this with burnt oranges and browns that summon the red clay or boulders of our nation’s canyons. Here are some FOXY designs to compliment your “chic” clothing this fall:

(more…)

I just saw the movie Julie & Julia and it was fabulous. In this movie, Julia Child’s story of her start in the cooking profession is intertwined with blogger Julie Powell’s 2002 challenge to cook all the recipes in Child’s first book. But at essence, what this story describes is the inner quest of both women to find their true purpose, pursue it with vigor, and discover some measure of worldly recognition for their efforts.

It’s the story of any creative person, in any decade or century. In fact, in some ways, it’s my story.

Like Julie and Julia, I am driven towards creativity as a life-long pursuit, as a career, as a calling. For Julia, it was cooking that unleashed her passion. For Julie, it was writing. And for me, it has always been art–painting, drawing, and now fused glass.

“There are two great days in a person’s life–the day we were born and the day we discover why.”  -William Barclay

But it was not enough for Julia Child to be a great cook for family and friends. It was not enough for Julie Powell to write a blog for a hobby. And it has never been enough for me to do a corporate job during the week, and be an artist on the weekend.  I can’t be passionate part-time….I must be consumed by my passion. I must truly “be” an artist, earn my way as an artist, to feel I have reached my full potential. I feel these women must have also felt this way.

Of course, the rub is that it takes money to live, and it’s very hard to earn money following your creative passions until you’ve reached far and wide to find enough people who love what you do that you can survive on their endorsement and support. In simpler terms, it’s hard to get a break.

After eight long years working full time developing her now famous first cookbook, Julia Child succeeded–her first publishing contract proved she wasn’t just passing the time by cooking, she was finally recognized as a chef. And after blogging and cooking an impossible number of recipes in just 365 days, Julie Powell got her break and now earns her living as a writer.

Stories of success like these are inspiring to creative people. These stories prove it can happen. Someday I’ll wake up and realize that I’m an artist, and that creating beautiful things is what I do for a living. A heartfelt thanks to all my family, friends, and FOXY Fusions fans that help me get one step closer to making this dream a reality every day.

It’s almost back to school time, and as I prepare to run the Texas PTA Reflections program for my sons’ school, I am reminded how important it is for everyone to support arts in the schools in Texas. We’re so lucky that these valuable programs still have funding in Texas…they’ve been eliminated in so many other parts of the country.

So if you support the arts in Texas, there’s one easy way to show it!

Texas State of the Arts License Plate
Your purchase of a “Texas State of the Arts” license plate will help nurture all the arts and give your car a little class at the same time. It is only $30.00 more than the normal registration fee and can be personalized. Best of all, the proceeds bring arts programs, education, and performances to communities across the state and provide funding to artists in every field, from every background, for all art forms. Remember, you don’t have to wait until the registration on your current plates expire. You may apply for this special plate at any time during the year and your regular registration fees will be prorated. ACT NOW! For more information on how to order your work of art, call the Texas Commission on the Arts at 1.800.252.9415 or go online at http://www.arts.state.tx.us/lp to download an application. Did you know that the State of the Arts license plates has sold more plates than all 48 collegiate plate designs combined?

I’ll be ordering mine today!

People often ask me how they can learn about fused glass. The only way to really learn it is to try it. And the only safe way to try it is to learn from an experienced fused glass person. Austin has several places to learn fused glass including:

• Art Glass Fusing Center (www.artglassfusingcenter.com). I took my first fused glass class here, and was so inspired I started FOXY Fusions! I often purchase my Bullseye glass from their store.
• Helios Kiln Glass Studio (www.heliosglass.com). I have taken classes at Helios and purchased glass here. Karen and Paul run a great shop and studio and are awesome people!
• Blue Moon Glassworks (www.austinbluemoon.com). I took a class in torchwork here and found out just how hard it is to work with glass under a flame! They have awesome classes and a great selection of glass and supplies.

If you live outside of Austin, you might be able to find a fused glass center by searching in Google with the terms “fused glass classes in <city>” and put your city in replace of  <city>.

You can also check out warmglass.com. It is a wealth of resourceful information about fused glass. And they have a book you can order online as well called Contemporary Warm Glass by Brad Walker.

People have also inquired as to whether I teach classes at my studio. Due to insurance requirements for holding classes, I haven’t yet done this. But you never know…I might team up with one of our Austin fused glass centers in the future….