February in the studio

I had to curtail my usual activities this month as I sliced my pinky finger with a mandoline at home. So, 2 weeks of being careful and keeping my hands out of the usual mixtures (including the kitchen sink). I switched to fusing glass, drawing and using the dishwasher as much as possible!

Artist Jaqueline Knight mixed Erbium into the pot furnace to make a huge PINK sand casting. It was a hot day and the furnace made it hotter! I was helping on kiln programming and opening and shutting the furnace door for a team of ladelers and snippers! You can see more of the action here.

You can keep quite clean when fusing glass. I spent a very peaceful afternoon cutting and stacking squares of scrap sheet glass that, when fused, make lovely circles - soon to be magnets for the Canberra Glassworks shop. I have been fusing some of my own scrap blown glass (see the green image). Folding paper boats for a reference has led to trying them out in glass.

I have been able to keep up my daily sketch as I hold my pen further away from the paper unlike writing where I can't curl my pinkie underneath my hand!