the learning curve

Failure is good.

So here is what I learned. The glass piece on the right (sitting on a fab textile reminiscent of aboriginal art-marks) was my first test in my new "what remains" series. My goal is to capture the ethereal beauty and transitory nature of ... well, things, in general.

What I liked about the first piece was the what I perceive as haunting image, milky, removed, perhaps ghostly. That was exactly what I wanted. As I have written before, this series started with gatherings from some dead trees that had to be cut down at a local park -- a little study, an attempt to memorialize their grace.

So, when my first full-size attempt emerged from the kiln without the beautiful hazy look, I realized that I had failed to use the same materials -- a result of mismarking some glass pieces. Bullseye has multiple clear-looking glasses that look alike but have wildly different chemical properties. Huge notes to self: be a master labeler.

So here is what the errant piece looks like, "up close and personal" as they say:

No nice milky effect, and tiny bubbles. I actually like bubbles in some work, but not in this one.

Another interesting fact -- I did not realize that I had cut myself and bled on the glass. Blood has iron. I was using a chemically reactive glass, and voila, my blood was memorialized...

So, this was an experience laden with lessons. Lucky me.