You have heard of Dream Catchers? The first week of art, the Elementary Classes made Memory Catchers. The idea being to capture a memory from summer on a 6 x 6 glass project.
In the process we learned about Glass Fusion:
- We talked about the basic science behind glass fusion and how our project required two layers of glass. Fused glass will retain a thickness of 6 mm. To retain the shape use a thickness of 6 mm or two layers of 3 mm. If thinner, surface tension will cause the glass to pull in towards the 6 mm mark leaving a thick edge. If thicker, it will flow outward to flatten to 6 mm unless it is constrained by dams
- We talked about how to add designs to your project. Adding decorative glass on top of a 6 mm base lets you expand design options but if too much is added or it is too close to the edge, it may flow out and distort the edge of the piece. To avoid this, keep added material ¾ inch from the perimeter.
- We talked about Frit and how it looks on a finished project.
- We talked about Opaque vs Clear Glass.
- We looked at some different glass projects for inspiration.
- We talked about being Safe while working with glass.
Steps: We completed a Design Up Project composing on top of a solid piece of glass. Lines will be soft and irregular because some glass colors flow sooner than others.
- Sketch out your design on paper – draw big shapes! Glass is tricky to cut.
- Find the glass pieces to complete you design. Layer smooth side up to avoid bubbles.
- As a last step, clean the glass.
- Glue the pieces together.
The Results: It is hard to capture how beautiful these are in a photo. Hope they add some happy memories to your home.
