Experimenting with Glass Clay: A Day of Creativity and Discovery
Today has been a day to experiment and play! After the disaster that was yesterday and feeling very down and miserable, I gave myself a talking to, picked myself up, dusted myself down and decided to fight on!
The Facebook Dilemma
I have continued to pester Facebook with emails and, as yet, still no reply—not even an acknowledgement that they have received the email. I am still in two minds about whether I should start a new page. On one hand, I loved being a part of various groups, especially the glass fusing groups; it was great having that sense of community. But on the other hand, I really dislike the lack of support when something goes wrong. Decisions, decisions!
A New Adventure: Glass Clay
Anyway, on to today! I have been experimenting with glass clay, a new-to-me technique that looks a lot of fun and full of possibilities!
Creating the Perfect Mixture
I started off by mixing a cup of water with some CMC powder that I bought online, which makes a thick gel-like substance. This was then mixed with glass powder to make a clay, depending on how much powder you used. As is normal with me, my ideas overtook my skills, and I had plans for intricate feathers and leaves full of details. However, I struggled to get the right consistency.
Rethinking My Approach
I decided to have a rethink and instead considered using a piping bag to pipe shapes straight onto the kiln paper. This worked quite well, though the result was still runnier than I would have liked.
Rock Pool Inspired Bowl
I have a plan to make a sort of rock pool inspired bowl, so I used a lot of different greens with a little bit of red, blue, and orange. Once it was piped onto the kiln paper, I added some coarse clear frit and more of the powdered blue and red. I also sprinkled a little fine frit in aventurine green and some orange. I will full fuse it and see what happens!
Looking Ahead
I think the next one I make will have clay that is slightly thicker. I will also have to simplify my plans a bit!
Today’s experimentation has been a mix of challenges and excitement. I’m eager to see the results of my rock pool inspired bowl and to continue refining my techniques with glass clay. Stay tuned for more updates on this creative journey!
