Category Archives: bullseye glass

Maverick Mike Returns From Texas

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The students in Michael Janis’ “Visualizations in Glass” circle around the instructor.

Our urban cowboy, Professor Janis, returns to Washington, DC after a teaching stint on the wide open ranges of Hot Glass Houston – looking a bit like he was rode hard and put away wet. (Like he normally does, without benefit of photoshop services.) He had a great time, and sent some photos of his frit powder imagery class, and tales of sitting by the campfire with the class. 

The students learned how to create imagery from frit powder.
The students dove right in, creating a series of samples of different techniques.
The class was very focused.
The students each created great images

A light touch…Michael divulged all his secrets of how to create fused layered images from frit powers and other media.
Besides the sgraffito technique, the students learned how to deconstruct an image into separate layers.
The images were assembled and fused into narrative studies – getting the 3 day class ready for larger works that pulled all the techniques together.
Cynthia Gilkey works on a piece that incorporates a tribute to her mother, Rieko.

  

Cynthia’s artwork as she worked.
The finished work.
Glass artist Kathy Jordan Walsh shows off her imagery skills.
A dam built around the glass stack keeps the glass from flowing out during the firing process.
After firing, the colors mature – what a great piece!
The glass sets up their works inside the kiln – listening intently to Cynthia as she outlines how to minimize air bubbles and “edge needles”.
The finished works as they are removed from the kiln.

Was there cattle rustling? Certainly. 

Houston has no zoning – the view from Michael’s hotel. Cow tipping allowed.

Bowling with armadillos…in the glass studio? Natch.

Honkey-Tonks and wet t-shirt contests? Hell yeah – This is Texas, after all!

Opposite from Hot Glass Houston studio is the Red River Dance Hall & Saloon.

A great time was had at a great place!

Afterwards, the class celebrates a fun session.

Posted in bob paterson, bullseye glass, glass frit powder imagery, hgh, hot glass houston, layered glass imagery, sgraffito technique, visualizations

Portland Comes to DC

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L-R Audrey Wilson, Amy Ferber, Erwin Timmers, Sean Hennessey

Bullseye Glass Company representative, Amy Ferber pops into the Washington Glass School to check up on what’s happening on the other coast.

Amy approves the clothing choice.

Amy was in town giving demos and talking with many of the Mid Atlantic glass schools and studios. It is always great fun to see her and bring her up to date on what the WGS artists are doing with glass as a sculptural medium.

Amy tries on the glass school gladiator mascot outfit.
Amy likes what she sees.

She gives the big thumbs up approval!

Posted in amy ferber, bullseye glass

Marc Petrovic Solo Show @ Heller Gallery

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New York’s Heller Gallery will be presenting a solo exhibition of Marc Petrovic  – in a show titled ‘Avian’. Marc often uses bird imagery as a metaphor for relationships, parenting, home, shelter, and geographical identification. In his most recent series, Avian, he takes a closer look at his subject as he pixelates, deconstructs and then reconstructs the figure.  

To create his sculpture, Marc first creates a murrini flat patterned sheet that is later worked in the hot shop, using the roll-up process. The flat fused panel is a result of painstaking detailed cutting and firing of flat colored sheets of Bullseye glass.
Marc Petrovic with Jonathan Chapman work in the hot shop to shape the glass into a dimensional piece.


Using Bullseyecolored glass, Marc cuts the sheet glass, arranges and fuses it into abstract patterned slabs (beautiful as an abstract flat plate). He then uses the “Aussie Roll-up” technique to transform them into incredibly detailed blown glass sculptures. If you are familiar with Marc’s work, his knowledge of anatomy of (seemingly all) living creatures comes into play, as his work easily travels between obsessive, meditative labor, visionary  abstraction and poignant representation. He has been working on this show for most of the past year, and it really shows in the beauty and detail of the work.

Marc Petrovic “Avian” Hot-sculpted and blown Bullseye murrini roll-up. H 9, W 15, D 10 in.
Marc and his work will be featured in an article in the upcoming Fall 2012 print edition of GLASS Quarterly  magazine. Click HERE to jump to a set of photos on Facebook of his process.

MARC PETROVIC – AVIAN

September 7- October 6, 2012

Reception for the artist: Thursday, September 6, 6-8pm

Demo: Saturday, September 8, 2012 11am at Brooklyn Glass to benefit Urban Glass Studio.

Heller Gallery

420 West 14th St.

New York NY 10014

Posted in brooklyn glass, bullseye glass, heller gallery, marc petrovic, roll-up, urban glass

Michael Janis Does (Hot Glass) Houston

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Washington Glass School’s own “Magic Mike” was just down in Houston – performing for the ladies out at the Hot Glass Houston (HGH) – a Bullseye glass Resource Center in Texas.

Michael Janis exposed all his secrets during his weekend review at club Hot Glass Houston. He happily line dances and pole dances (where he got the nickname “Magic Mike”), yet remains mum about what happened at the HGH karoke night…

Michael said there were many ‘naturals’ in the class that took to the sgraffito technique instantly, and HGH’s Bob Paterson sent some photos from the class – 

Michael Janis outlines frit powder sgraffito process to the class.

In the three-day workshop, the artists created imagery using frit powder, enamels, image transfer, stencils, high-fire pens and paints, and later worked at creating depth by kiln-forming a stacked image panel.

TA Cynthia Gilkey sifts frit powder to recreate her puppy Bob in glass.
Bob after his time in a kiln.
Michael demonstrates how to manipulate frit powder. Its so easy!
Hot Glass Houston kilns fill with image laden sheets of glass.
Lynda Stoy’s frit powder sketch awaits kiln firing.
Layered panel component sheets by Marilyn Dishman, Lynda Stoy and  Deborah Enderle are fired to fix the frit powder on the glass and allow for further embellishment.
The class dams each layered imagery panel prior to full fuse firing.
Catherine Coffman assembles her layered panel in the kiln and creates a dam surround.
After firing.
Brooke Colvin’s romantic panel after clean up.
Liz Paul’s glass artwork references a walk thru the woods.

Michael said he had a great time in Texas, and he enjoyed hanging out with the owner Bob Paterson and TA Cynthia Gilkey – although he mentioned a karaoke night debacle, he refused to give details. Click here to jump to Hot Glass Houston’s facebook page. Click HERE to jump to Hot Glass Houston’s website.

Posted in american, bullseye glass, frit powder, fused glass imagery, hot glass houston, kiln-formed glass, scraffito, sgraffito technique, studio art glass, texas

Class Photo: Intermediate Glass Course

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The “Next Step” fused glass class is well underway, with the students going large. This week, the artists were engrossed in making pattern sheet elements for a large panel fused work. Balance of color, reactions within colors, working with frit powders, stringers and sharpened cutting skills are the mainstay of the class.


Sifting frit glass powder onto glass allows creation of very detailed glass elements.


More of everything is the class motto!.


The day’s work is loaded into the kiln.


Next week’s installment includes creating even larger panels, as well as cutting perfect circles in glass. Can’t hardly wait!.

Posted in bullseye glass, fused glass class, next step, pattern sheet, washington glass school

Bullseye Gallery Features Painter(ly) Glass Artists

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Michael Janis Observation of Signals
2011 Kilnformed glass


Jeff Wallin Kate
2008 Kilnformed glass

Bullseye Gallery – located near the Bullseye Glass Center in Portland, Oregon – has a special exhibit opening soon that focuses on artists that work.
Titled “FACTURE -Artists at the Forefront of Painterly Glass” the exhibit asks what advantages do the materials and processes found in glass provide that can’t be found in other painting media.


“FACTURE -Artists at the Forefront of Painterly Glass”

January 4 thru February 25, 2012
Bullseye Gallery, Portland, OR

Works by Michael Janis, Kari Minnick, Martha Pfanschmidt, Ted Sawyer, Abi Spring, and Jeff Wallin
Artist Reception: Wednesday, January 4, 5:30 – 7:30 pm

A panel discussion will be held with the artists moderated by Bullseye’s Michael Endo on Sunday January 8 from 2pm–4pm.

Bullseye Gallery offers contemporary art objects and experiences examining the potential and complexity of kilnformed glass. The gallery also explores glass in the built environment, inviting art into architecture through collaborations with artists, designers, architects and clients.

The gallery hosts artist lectures, panel discussions, and events which encourage dialogue about the concepts and processes driving contemporary art.

Bullseye Gallery
300 NW 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503.227.0222
Gallery Hours: Tues – Sat 10:00AM – 5:00PM

Posted in bullseye glass, facture, michael janis, painterly glass, sgraffito technique

BECon 2011

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This coming June, Bullseye Glass hosts their glass arts conference in Portland, OR. The biennial conference is a great way to see the latest BE glass products, tour the factory and network with other glass artists and educators. Scholarships are available – read below:

BECon 2011

CROSSOVER: A Material Exchange
Exploring the interface between kiln-glass and other media

What can the “makers” in the field of kiln-glass learn from artists working in other media? What lies at the interface of kiln-glass and forms of expression like painting, architecture, photography, digital technologies, printmaking and textiles? Exploring such questions is precisely the goal of the Bullseye Conference, 2011.

WHAT IS BECON?
Every two years, aspiring and accomplished kiln-glass professionals from around the globe enjoy the opportunity to gather, network, compare notes and expand their horizons. That opportunity is known as BECon (the Bullseye Conference).

WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN
June 16-18, 2011.

WHERE IT WILL HAPPEN
Portland, Oregon, USA—on the metropolitan campus of Portland State University, which is central to the city’s vibrant, arts-rich core.

WHO WILL SPEAK
A partial list of presenters includes:
Elizabeth Aro Invorio, Italy
Steve Brown London, England
Bruce Guenther Portland, Oregon, United States
Alex Hirsch Portland, Oregon, United States
Alex Hoare Winchester, England
Munson Hunt Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States
Tom Jacobs Portland, Oregon, United States
Silvia Levenson Lesa, Italy
Dante Marioni Seattle, Washington, United States
Richard Parrish Bozeman, Montana, United States
Marc Petrovic Essex, Connecticut, United States
Laurel Porcari New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Rick Potestio Portland, Oregon, United States
Judith Schaechter Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Shapeways Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Karlyn Sutherland Lybster, Scotland
Lino Tagliapietra Venice, Italy
Karen Yair Birmingham, England

WHO WILL ATTEND
About 250 artists, designers, fabricators, instructors, and students from around the globe.

PRE- AND POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
Are in the planning stages. Update – click HERE to jump to BE workshops.

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
Bullseye is offering 25 scholarships for students. Recipients can attend the conference for $250, less than half the standard price. To qualify, you must currently be enrolled full time in an accredited university or have graduated from an accredited university no earlier than May 2010.

To apply for a scholarship, please email the following information to marketing@bullseyeglass.com by February 13, 2011:
1) your contact information, including name, website (if applicable), mailing address, and email address
2) your CV or résumé
3) a short paragraph describing how you will use what you learn at BECon 2011
4) four to six .jpg files showing your work (no file larger than 100 kb.)
5) a list identifying each work shown in the .jpg files by title of image, title of work, year, technique/media, dimensions, and photographer.

Scholarship recipients will be notified by email no later than February 27, 2011. Once notified, recipients will be able to register for the conference at the reduced rate of $250.

APPLICATIONS
Will open early in 2011.

CONTACT & INFO
Contact conference@bullseyeglass.com for more information.
Click here and here to learn about Portland, Oregon.

Posted in 2011, BECon 2011, bullseye, bullseye glass, portland

More Glass Fun Facts

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>Ever wonder how the clear sheets of Bullseye glass are made – how they get that distinctive ripple texture?

Well – thanks to Facebook – we can see exactly the point the glass gets its wiggle :

click on images to jump to video of BE glass rolling process

Apparently, each and every sheet gets its shimmy from the BE staff as it gets pressed from molten glass ladle out and roll-pressed into sheet form.

The Bullseye glass factory is more fun than the Keebler hollow tree.

Posted in bullseye glass, casting sheet glass, process