Doing It In Public

Blowing glass that is. Today I will be demonstrating glass blowing for the visitors of the Franklin Park Conservatory from 11 to 2. I love to blow glass. Blowing glass is challenging, physical, and creative. It's an amazing feeling to pinch into hot pliable molten glass that then turns solid and keeps that shape I just made.

Blown Glass Vessels, Not Just for Ashes!

Hand blown glass vessels are torch-worked on a small blow pipe. I create each blown glass vessel myself no two designs are the same. Glass art for fairies, wishes, love notes, and all precious thoughts and emotions.

There are many uses for these glass Enchanted Vessels ® . A young man used one to put a small love scroll in and gave it to his new girlfriend. Others have used them to keep a prayer or affirmation in. Some have put a bit of sand from the beach where they had been on vacation. My daughter keeps a small bit of her late pet's ashes in a small blown glass vessel that she takes to college. My son keeps eucalyptus oil in his glass vessel to help wake him up in the morning.

I am passionate about creating with glass. It gives me pleasure to know that my small brightly colored glass vessels make others happy as well.

Blown glass torchworked vessel

I have many available in my shop please have a look. Look here for sale priced Enchanted Vessels®

 

Blown Glass Lampwork Amphora

Glass Mixed Media Works in Progress for Painted lady Feminist Museum 7/13

I am working on handmade miniature glass sculptures. These will be under 4" big, mostly torchworked glass, and found objects. My glass sculptures will be in a group show in an art gallery called Painted Lady Feminist Museum. This is part of the S.Round Creative. The show themed "Liberation," opens in July, and I will be sure to post images here.
Last night I finished assembling one glass sculpture it involved using most of my tools. Thank goodness I hang on to all of my art supplies, some were from the early 90's. Sculpture #1 is torchworked glass, brass, copper, and gold thread. The title is tentatively Mother, Child, and Binding Spirit. Although the theme is "Liberation," most of my pieces involve bondage or bonding. Below is a glimps of piece number one unfinsied. To see more of my work available for purchase you can find my shop here and I am also on FaceBook where we can interact a bit more.

Sculpture no. 2 still in progress. I will post the completed works when the show opens. See more of my art here.

Mother, Child, and Binding Spirit 2.75" 
This is not completed, you will have to wait for the show to see the finished work.

Travels In Glass

Hi, It's me, back from my travels. I was at The Corning Museum of Glass where I took a class in Venetian glass blowing techniques, and while I was there I auditioned for their blow glass at sea program too.
Venetian glass blowing techniques was taught by William Gudenrath. Bill has a wealth of information on glass history and glass blowing techniques through the ages. He is fascinating to listen to, watch create, and learn from.
The class was challenging, as most glass blowing is, It was a good opportunity for me to do a lot of assisting of the other students. Assisting is something I need to work on as well as the glass blowing.
There were 9 students a T.A. and our instructor, Bill. It was a wonderful group of people. I had a great time with them. This class ran one week and we were in the studio from 9am to 11pm, there are some great relationship dynamics in this kind of intense work situation.
After my 6 days of class, I spent a day in the Museum. I went back and fourth between the indoor and outdoor live demo studio. I was watching the performance of the demonstrators. The narrators talk non stop, this is a bit different from when I am demonstrating at The Franklin Park Conservatory. I wanted to pick up how they worked in preparation for my audition with the Blow Glass At Sea program the next day. In-between watching the two demo stages, I walked the museum and sketched the work that was interesting to me. Well there are thousands of works in glass, and much of that is interesting, so I picked and  chose throughout the day. Sketching and photographing helped me to capture my impression of the works much more so than just photographing.
The next day, my last day in Corning, NY, was my audition. Six people involved with the Blow Glass at Sea program were there. First I would narrate for a glass blower. It went great. I said funny things, I was engaging with my audience, and I was completely comfortable on stage. When it came time for me to be the glass demonstrator it did not go as smoothly. I took a large gather, lager than I am used to, because I knew that they expect large works to be made, this is more exciting for the audience. I did not do so well. I think in the end the bowl came out fine, but I was too labored in making it. Fail!
In our discussion afterwards I was told how much they loved my narration, that I said things they had not heard, and I looked comfortable there. The woman from HR seemed to love me, maybe if the decision was her's I would  have gotten a position, but it is a group effort, so I did not.
On the up side, I was asked to work on my skills, and come back for another audition in November at SOFA.
I love Corning everyone is very happy and upbeat there. I would love to be contracted to work for them. I will be working on my skills, which any way I look at it is a good thing for me. I hope to get a position with Blow Glass At Sea, but if I don't, in the end my glass blowing will be much better for trying.
I have some photos of my trip here on FB.

My class minus one.

The Corning inside stage

Bill Gudenrath working solo on a dragon stem goblet.

Bill's color collection! collecting color since 1979.

Me with Harry Seaman, my favorite shop tech.

Me, Lisa Horkin, capping a bubble.

Me, Lisa Horkin, jacking some glass.

Me and Leslie Baker working at the marver.

Last Weeks Breaking News

Horkover Glass showed up in a Columbus Dispatch article last week while I was away. Take a look here!

A Unique way to remember someone special...

Keep your precious memories everlasting with a distinctive, hand-blown glass urn by artist Lisa Horkin. This work of art remembrance urn is an enduring tribute honoring the memory of a loved one. With a continually changing variety of one-of-a-kind pieces, you can choose a vessel that speaks to your emotion.  Fill your heirloom vessel with a small collection of ash, lock of hair, dried ceremonial flowers, or prayer. Keep it close to your heart or share its beauty with others.

  Enchanted Vessels r

Summer Camp 2013 Corning Museum of Glass

More images from my trip here.Arrived yesterday and headed right to the hot glass show. I wanted to see how they give there demos. There is always something to learn. They made a pretty complex piece with a blown foot and Roman handles, but in the end the bottom was too cold and it broke when they went to put it away. It was reassuring to me to see that even the most competent glass blowers still have problems from time to time. I know this, but sometimes question my belief.

Went out for a run this morning. NY is UPHILL! now ready to shower and head to class.

Group show coming in July

I will be in a MAW, Mother Artists at Work, show this July in the Painted Lady Feminist Museum.
I will have 3 miniature glass sculpture. I was in the studio today starting on making parts. I am so excited to be working in this scale, it has been hard to keep from looking in the kiln all afternoon. Waiting for the kiln to cool so I can see the work I have so far. I will show the completed works when the show opens.
Here is a sample of one part. More small glass can be seen in my shop here.

For the first time in my life I need prescription glasses, bifocals to be precise. I want them to be these, but don't think I can afford them, given that I don't know if the eye dr can use them for my prescription, or how they will actually look on me,,, probably cute I'm thinking.
Eye Glasses in this link click here