Sunday, July 5, 2009

WORKING WITH GEODE SLICES

Each day that I try to come up with a new design for my next piece of stained glass, I try to do something a little different.

Recently, I've done that by adding a bit of nature into a few of my designs by adding a geode slice. These beautiful specimens of rock are cross cut to expose the crystal formations within, then polished to bring out its 'inner' beauty. Each geode slice has its own distinct personality with its crystal formation and the banding of color. What a beautiful addition to my stained glass they would make.

The first step was finding the 'perfect' slices. I called my favorite gem and rock store, Gary's Gem Garden in Cherry Hill, NJ. We have been customers of theirs for years and have bought everything from polished rocks to fine jewelry. Denise, his wife was a huge help in making sure I got the perfect geode slices for my work. I described what I wanted and how I was going to use each piece. She began her search through their inventory, looking for what I described, scanned each one and emailed the pictures to me within a day. Through this process, I bought ten geode slices in shades of blue and amber. I received them within a few days and they were even more beautiful in person. I couldn't wait to get started.

The next step was to start designing stained glass pieces that had the glass and each geode slice in mind. I wanted each to compliment the other. This takes some time.

My first design was using the amber piece shown above. It reminded me of the color of the moon, as it sets behind the western mountains of Las Vegas, in the early morning hours as the desert awakens to a new day. I quickly put my idea on paper. Next, I picked out the glass with shades and textures that best fit the sky, mountains and desert. What better way to use a piece of nature than to put it in a picture of nature?

Within a couple of days, I completed my first piece that incorporated the geode slice and glass.

"Moonset Behind Desert Mountains" - 8-1/2" x 11" - SOLD

The sky is a beautiful dark blue glass with small bubbles, it looks like a night sky with all of its stars. The mountains are black opaque glass to be in the shadows of the 'moon'. The desert is a piece of textured amber glass that looks like the sand dunes created by the desert breeze along with a piece of amber and green glass being the desert flora.

Currently, I'm working on two more pieces using geode slices. Another nature scene and a Prairie/Mission style pattern piece. I hope to have them finished and photos posted soon. And, of course, the designing of future pieces is never ending.