HOME | DD
KimsButterflyGarden —
Apricot Shell 4
Published: 2010-02-04 04:02:57 +0000 UTC; Views: 11077; Favourites: 325; Downloads: 181
Redirect to original
Description
I loved making this shell. The apricot swirls ended up looking like light filtering through the water. Blown glass shell measures approximately 6 inches in length and took about 40 minutes to make.May soon be available for purchase in my Etsy.com shop [link]
Related content
Comments: 119
It is indeed gorgeous.
Wish we could see a few more angles on this puppy...
Any more shells in the works?
I could suggest a few if you get stuck...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
My immediate advice would be to find a glass blowing artist in your area and apprentice to him/her.
If you were my student I would try to push you in the direction of making larger hand blown stand alone sculptures (of shells) rather than the lampwork trinkets...
A sculpture will always be valued more than a piece of jewelry.
Check out my friend Laughing Tree's work:
[link]
He's in Portland or Seattle (I think).
He would be the perfect person to ask advice of...
You obviously have talent and show a facility with form(especially with the shells). I just would hate to see you settle for the more craft oriented route of lampwork as compared to the somewhat more lofty ideals of fine art sculpture...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I love considering myself a "glassblower" rather than a sculptor because it sounds a lot cooler... I would love to be able to do it at a professional level some day... sadly, Michigan is rather dry in terms of glass resources. The few teachers within reasonable driving distance (for a daily or weekly class) are both quite expensive, and to apprentice to the one I was going to I would have to be in two+ of her classes (priced $670 for 8 days...) so... not going to happen right now. I met fantastic glass artists from across the country (nearly all from out of state) at a recent art festival in a nearby city, so if I ever end up out of MI I will get right on that... In the mean time, lampworking is something I could do from my home, at a muuuuch lower cost! so... as much as I would love to get back to glassblowing, it is just not going to happen, not any time soon.
Thank you for your helpful ideas and nice compliments though, I am glad you enjoy my work!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
If you ever do want to pursue it in earnest,the Pacific Northwest is where all the cutting edge art and technology are happening in regards to glass because there's a lot of silica up there...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I know, and it would be fantastic to spend some time in that area, but really I live in a huge hippie town in the middle of a 70/30 liberal/conservative state, so I kinda like it here... I may travel, learn, and bring glass back to MI because it needs it so badly! There is so little here, I would love to learn and share with other interested people.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That's a good sentiment.
Hold that thought...
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
thanks a bunch!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Beautiful! it looks so real, I had to see what it was made of.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Hooray for glass!
I'm glad you like it!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
this beautiful the ripels and scalloping are so perfect i thought it was a real shell at first , i have always wanted to do glass blowing .
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you!
Glassblowing is one of the most intense and moving art experiences I have had in my life. Being that close to the massive heat of the furnace, the molten, honey-red glass, making wonderful shapes and colors and designs appear.... *sigh* It is the most fun ever
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
wow now i rally want to try it! i have done metal welding sculptures but the fact that i could not touch it with my bare hands was a negative for me but liquid glass seems like it would be far more malleable with the right tools,
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
it isn't like taffy the way you would think. it is like pulling and shaping molasses that is quickly freezing, and you have to be aware of heat every second. touching your piece cools it, and the metal tools have to be used quickly and deftly so you don't crack and mar your work, but it is a LOT of fun, and there is no question of whether the payoff is worth it or not - you get an awesome experience and make something unique (even if it doesn't turn out beautiful) and it will be a memory you hold onto for a long time. If you can afford a class i highly recommend it!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I love shells & this is a beauty! Great work! I thought it was real!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you! I feel the same way
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
This... this ISN'T from the sea?! And it ONLY TOOK YOU FORTY MINUTES?!! Daaaaaaayyummm.... You'd make hella money selling these. The way it shimmers with luminescent swirls of pearly-ness, the way it twists in an entirely natural way, the coloration! Man, you could probably auction these for several hundred, if not several thousand dollars!!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
*grins* I am happy at how realistic it apparently is 
The only thing with making money from these is that the glass class I was taking is way too expensive, I woudl have to sell each shell for a hundred or so to make up for the cost of the class with about 10% for profit
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Hm. IDK, find a job at Starbucks? Make up for the class there and with the glasswork. You can probably shrink the price quite a bit. Either way, auctions going from $50 - $250 would not surprise me.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
that would be nice, but I already work at Joann Fabrics and am trying to make money selling my new fairy doors and beads and pendants, so we will see how it goes
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ah, well good luck there!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
thank you! I am kinda in love with it myself (tee hee)
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
The overall sleekness and textures are amazing. (I love the photo too, it's like still life meets odalesque painting!)
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
wow, thank you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No problem, it's a stunning mix of skills you have
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Aww, thanks! I developed them while searching for things to make that I could be good at. Turns out I am at least decent at a lot of arts and crafts, and some of them more than that
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Yeah, you've a lot of variety. It's cool, do you find one craft influencing another?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
well I find that any craft involving sculpting with tools is similar enough that I can do some crossover with techniques, and the same goes for all painting/drawing/sketching, but I do things kinda all over the board. Some things like felting just don't really have anything in common with my other crafts as far as techniques, tools or designs.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You certainly keep busy!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I work at Joann Fabrics and am not in school at the moment (taking an art break, much needed and long-awaited.) I have lots of free time ( only getting 5-10 hours most weeks right now) and I have a lot of artsy inclinations
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Oh dear, that job would get me in so much trouble. As is I stop by on my way home from work too often!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I spend waaaay too much money there as it is
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
holy moly! I thought at first this was a picture of a real shell!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
*chuckles* not real! real glass, though! real heavy too, I think it is close to two pounds
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
It's beautiful and looks so real! Definitely like something you would find washed ashore in the Bahamas. Excellent. :>
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
wow! in the little icon on the DD page it looked like a flower petal shaped like a shell. this is beautiful! ^^
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
I thought it was a petal at first, too! Either way, it's beautiful.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
interesting! I hadn't heard that yet, but it gives me a new way to look at it
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
this is beautiful! I love the shine and the waves on the shell! if I could, I would mini-size it, put a wire in it and wear it as a necklace!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
That would be so cool! If I ever get a chance to do some lampworking I will try making small versions of this!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
At first I was like, 'Why is this a DD? it's just a sea shell.' Then i read the DD note, and then found out it was actually glass. That's really impressive, and very pretty. That's what I call talent. Wow.
👍: 0 ⏩: 2
hee hee thank you! I am glad it is so realistic!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
| Next =>