Creating a Fused Glass Landscape

Lesson Submitted by: Anna Mayehofer, West Genesee Middle School, Camillus, NY
Unit: Crafts – Glass – Fusing
Grades: 6 - 12
Alternate Lesson: Fused Glass Frame

 

A. Lesson Plan: Eighth Grade Fused Glass Design

B. Objectives

The students will be able to:

1. Recognize the work of several artists who used the landscape/nature as the subject in their art work.

2. Define landscape and relevant vocabulary terms such as fore, middle and background and illusions that can create depth.

3. Recognize the landscape theme in the art work of Louis Comfort Tiffany.

4. Become familiar with the work of Dale Chihuly and Frank L. Wright and the influence of nature within their artwork.

5. Create a full fused glass plate/bowl using the landscape/nature as a subject matter.

6. Become familiar with glass terms and techniques that can be applied to fusing glass.

7. Use the elements of design placing emphasis on line, color and texture in the creation of the glass design.

       

 

C. Relationship to New York State Standards

 

A. Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Arts

• Students will actively create a fused glass art work...

B. Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

• Students will be knowledgeable of the material used, as well as use selected material to enhance this project. Identification and use of glass techniques will be accomplished during this project.

C. Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art

• Websites, prints will be made available to study/critique using past and contemporary glass  design through the methods of inquiry presented by Feldman which places emphasis on the elements of design and previous knowledge.

D. Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contribution of the Arts

• Influence art and current trends in the creation of three-dimensional design

D. Materials

Bullseye glass (clear) Bullseye Confetti (assorted colors) Bullseye Frit (assorted colors) Pistol Grip Glass Cutter Safety goggles Circle cutter Glass Kiln with Kiln Furniture Kiln Wash (shelf primer)

Bullseye Stringers (assorted) Bullseye Noodles (assorted) Glass Grinder Old towel (to cut glass on) Plant mister to apply kiln wash Old stainless steel bowls Scrubbing pad Temperature resistant gloves

 

E. Resources

 

Books

Fused Glass Handbook by Gil Reynolds, Copyright 1987,1990 Glass: An Artist's Medium by Lucartha Kohler

Advanced Fusing Techniques by Boyce Lundstrom Dichroics: Art Glass All Dressed Up by Jackie Paciello-Truty

 

F. Video Resources: Chihuly River of Glass (Also see Chihuly: River of Glass 6-Volume VHS Box Set)

On DVD: Chihuly: River of Glass

 

Internet Resources

Murano Glass                            http://www.boglewood.com/murano/home.html

Dale Chihuly                              http://www.chihuly.com/

Louis Comfort Tiffany                http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/Tiffany/index.html

Corning Museum of Glass          http://www.cmog.org/

History of Glass                         http://www.glassonline.com/infoserv/history.html (Archive)

Frank L. Wright                         http://www.franklloydwright.org. Also see a school designed by his son, John Lloyd Wright. Note the treatment of the glass for the windows.

 

G. Vocabulary

Dichroic glass cutter landscape COE streamers depth full fuse noodles score

texture tack fuse confetti shape firing grit color kiln line

divitrification anneal slump/drape Dale Chihuly kiln wash Louis Comfort Tiffany stringers Frank L. Wright

 

H. Procedure

Students will need to use visual resources such as slides, internet sites, videos, prints, etc. in learning about the great landscape artists. These artists can vary-they can be Louis Comfort Tiffany windows, Hudson River artists, or any artist/school you may wish to select or period to create a landscape. These can include cityscapes, seascapes, etc.

A) Need to do rough draft of a landscape within format selected for the landscape composition. This may be irregular or geometric.

B) Decide on a shape in which the landscape will be placed. This could be a free form, circular, rectangular, square, triangular or oval type shape.

C) This glass shape must be cut first, then grind glass to smooth edges.

D) Begin selection of glass which utilizes the same textures as the student has drawn in the rough draft.

E) Students need to become knowledgeable of names and textures of the glass used on their landscape plate.

F) Glass needs to be ground to smooth edges using a grinder and safety rules must be strictly enforced/use of goggles and a protective shield over the grinder G) Wash and then dry pieces of glass.

H) Using white glue (not copious amounts) to slightly tack the glass pieces onto the glass shape/plate. Once the appropriate colors and textures have been selected and tack glued let dry overnight.

1. Place on kiln washed shelf.

2. Place glass on a mold (this can be student made form or a commercially made form.

3. Fire the glass (1453 degrees Fahrenheit) for 12 minutes,/flash vent to 900 and then close lid and turn kiln to 900 degrees for one hour and turn off kiln... leaving the lid closed.

4. Let the glass anneal overnight and don’t open until it is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. Then you are ready to place the plate in a mold that has Kiln Wash applied to it. The kiln wash can be applied with a brush or spray bottle.

6. Fire again using same procedure as with the tack fusing but once it has been flash vented be sure to keep the kiln at 900 degrees for another 3 hours. Then leave glass in kiln until the temperature falls to 100 degrees or less.

7. Remove from kiln.

8. If there is some kiln wash on the plate be sure remove use Windex. It seems to come off easiest with this product and a toothbrush.