Update: Facebook Live + Artist of the Month at Pittsburgh Glass Center

Hello Lightning Tamers!

It’s been a while since my last post. So what’s going on? well, I’ve been working on a new segement for the next podcast of Taming Lightning, something a little different called Speakable. Think of speakable as Audiobook for content, be it articles or blog posts that relate to the Art, Science, or History of Neon and Plasma. This was largely inspired by my love for audio books, and the podcast Optimal Living Daily Podcast that is centered around narration of articles and blog posts, with given permissions. So I thought I’d give it a shot to help fill in the gaps when interviews and discussions, and to be able to give life to content that most will not have seen otherwise. If you like audio books, then this will be something you’ll like (though I’m no professional when it comes to voicework).

Most my time has been preparing for the Artist of the Month demo at Pittsburgh Glass Center. A mad dash as I try to produce and experiment with neon and plasma! I’ve been exploring the use of live streaming through facebook live, and below I’ll share with you my recent studio session!

Featured Artist of the Month | Pittsburgh Glass Center

One of the most influential and impactful moments in his academic career was a trip he organized with the ISU Glass Club which later became the Gather Glass Club. They visited various studios including: Fire Nation Glass Studio, Toledo Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and Corning Museum of Glass.

Facebook Live 9/28

In this Session I’m working in the Flame Studio working using a torch on borosilcate glass (hard glass) while one of my pieces is being processed in the kiln.

When it comes to plasma, and more importantly neon you want to get a close as you can to absolute vacuum with is around 1-3 microns. The heat from the kiln help release impurities stuck in the glass, water vapor, and dust as the vacuum pump evacuates the piece.

Though I had to fix a few small leaks, it was quite successful.

While my piece was in the kiln, I started to mess around and prepping to fill some scientific glass elements. (more on that in the next post).

The piece I filled is a work-in-progress, if you follow me on instagram or browse through the linked images on the home page, you may be familiar with this shape I made month or so during the summer.

I left tubulation longer in case I wanted to change the fill at a later date. Had two leaks that we’re easy to find but tough to seal.

Noosphere, 2017
Neon gas, Flameworked borosilicate glass, electrode, transform, and electrode.

“Clouds are about nature and the mind. A cloud is an illustration of thought, when hovering over a subject. It is shapeless, and our minds give it figuration.”