SPREADING MY WINGS
- Gwendolyn Morgan
- Jun 19, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 22
Between an abundance of travel AND COVID, things have slowed to a snail's pace at the Mountain Girl Glass studio. However, I was able to get in a great glassy experience recently at Pilchuck Glass School.
Pilchuck (founded by Chihuly way back in the day) is an amazing place for glass artists of all disciplines and experience levels to come together to learn and grow. A lot happens in the hot shop, including glass blowing and sculpturing, experimental art and glass works, casting, molding, neon lights, cold work, wood and metal works, and so much more.
On the first day, we were given our orientation tour. The campus is gorgeous as it sits out in the middle of the woods with great views in all directions up and down the 'freakin hill' as we lovingly called it :) As we were introduced to studio after studio, I felt like a kid in a candy store ... my eyes were bouncing all over the place. Soooo many possibilities!
I was taking a hot shop glass sculpting class with sessions taught by Trenton Quiocho. He is an amazing artist and a phenomenal instructor. You may have seen him on Blown Away. Anywho .. as luck would have it, or as "bad" luck would have it, I got caught up in a COVID outbreak. UGH! I couldn't stay for my entire two weeks, but I did learn a ton for the short time I was there.
Just like in Blown Away, we developed our own concept and then worked to execute it in glass. My concept had 4 components to my vision. I was only able to work through the prototype for my 1st component before I was banished to quarantine and then shipped home.
However, while in quarantine, a classmate brought me my first prototype. I hadn't seen it since I put it into the annealer. The pics here aren't the best, but that is the best I could do from the sick ward.
This is the prototype for my component #1 (there are 4 components to my vision). It’s a butterfly chrysalis. It still needs cold work, but you can sort of see the texture I was working into it. I do need better pictures. For now, you can get a better idea of the texture I was going for from my concept sketch of component #1. Yes, I missed out on much of my class, though there is good news. I'll be at Pilchuck again in a couple of months ... I look forward to a "re-do" :)
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