quick project- pattern & color blocks

I sometimes find myself repeating this pattern on and on... I wondered why until I understood that this relaxes me. Very simple and effective way to decompress the mind, just let ideas flow and relax. Then again, this is the reason why I do these quick projects.

In this particular one, the words that came to mind when appreciating the outcome were: stamp, rugs, patten & wall mountings... Imagine this on a greater scale, in fabric and woven onto a wall? Ja ja lots of ideas come from one simple sketch and never know what can come from this later on.

~ drawings by julibd ~

quick project- Limón Dulce or Sweet Lemon

Its been a month since I got to Costa Rica for my holidays, and it has been lovely to be able to relax and compare/contrast how different life is here. Not to mention the 20º + weather and constant sunshine and how this is soo different to the scottish one (of course !) ja ja. But this is a great opportunity to really savor and be grateful for our way of life here. 

One thing that I really love from here is that if we fancy orange juice, limón dulce or lemons, we can go out and take it from the tree. It doesn't get better than this (in my opinion). As my vacation is coming to an end, before going back I want to observe my surroundings and record some of the aspects. This is the purpose behind this quick project and hopefully works as inspiration for a new body of work...

ps. Sunshine loves this too ;P
~ photos by julibd ~

  

Recap of my last year of MFA

This last year of my MFA has been very full on in a good way. It was a crash course in pushing artistic ideas forward through the different research methods; building a cohesive and concise body of work, further communication skills to support the concept and the development of the professional practice. All of these aspects came together for our final project and the goal was to put on a professional exhibition. First was the Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show where Ode to Intuición made its debut and The Scottish Glass Society awarded Laura Reid and I the Prize for Best Student of Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show 2013.

-Edinburgh College of Art Degree Show 2013- Ode to Intuición Debut May 2013

A month later for New Designers we traveled down to London to show our work among 3,500 newly graduates from all over the UK’s leading universities. In my experience, New Designers was a great platform that jumpstarted my artistic experience because of its exposure, chance to network with a very specialized crowd and all the opportunities that came from it. I am happy to say that I got awarded the New Designers Contemporary Glass Society Associate Prize and was shortlisted in the final 12 for the New Designer of the Year Award.

Also I was invited by Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections to go to SOFA Chicago this October and Collect London in May 2014 and be represented by her as my agent.

-New Designers 2013- Edinburgh College of Art Stand June 2013

 Shortly after all of that, we traveled back to Edinburgh for Graduation. So it was a great way to close up the MFA experience.

-MFA Glass Graduation Proof ;D- June 2013

All of these are amazing opportunities that otherwise would no have been possible and New Designers was a stepping-stone for greater things, not only in the UK but also internationally. Here are some of the pictures of the exhibits since then:


Stanislav Libenský Award 2013. Prague Gallery of Czech Glass. Royal Summer Palace at Prague Castle. Prague. Czech Republic. September 20th- December 1st:

-Stanislav Libensky Award 2013- Royal SUmmer Palace at Prague Castle September 2013


SoFA Chicago 2013 with Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections, Navy Pier. Chicago. USA.

-SoFA Chicago 2013- Joanna Bird Contemporary Collections stand October 2013

And some more new exciting exhibitions are coming up so I will keep posting and look forward to what new projects are on the horizon. Happy 2014 !! to all and hope this year is even better than the last :D

~ photos by julibd ~ 

New Book: Ode to Intución Series

I have been meaning to show you guys my newly printed book of the Ode to Intuición Series. I am very happy with the outcome because this compilation becomes the principal storyteller of the project and portrays my journey as an artist. It is a personal space in which ideas where proposed without any restrictions and consequently, these became frozen moments that synthesized the preciousness of that intuitive thought. 

Looking back, I am glad I gave myself the time to put this book together because the value of the bound collection of sheets is as precious as the final Ode to Intuición Series. Also it is a great way to communicate my research and demonstrate the essence of the series.

~ photos by julibd ~ 

Starting my Artist in Residence at ECA

This was a very eventful summer to say the least, and I am working on 'clip notes version' post to explain myself fully. But for now, just wanted a quick note to mention that I am very excited to be one of the Artist In Residence at the Glass Department at ECA, alongside Anne Petters (mixing the hot shop with kiln casting/ Pâte de Verre), Andrea Walsh (cast glass with bone china) and Carrie Fertig (flame working mixed with performance)! The group is very diverse in techniques and expertise, so I can't wait to see what will come out of this experience.

I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity to be an Artist in Residence. This is a scheme specially designed to support emerging artists and designers with the chance to access the studio free of charge, develop new skills and further their artistic career; acting as a stepping stone from student life to the real thing. In exchange, we assist staff members and  support students in the development of their creative and studio practice.

My plan for this one year residency, is to continue to evolve my studio practice by expanding the Mix&Match Series and explore new possibilities in the studio. Also I will be exhibiting my work, expanding my experience and exposure as an up-and-coming artist l designer. In the photo above, I am in the process of creating a new piece in the studio (mixing & matching though play) and on the left is the final non-functional vessel and it is called 'Abejón".

~ photos by Ainsley Francis and julibd (respectively) ~

Degree Show Setup of [Mix&Match] Series

Officially my Degree Show work was handed in on friday and here is the evidence of the setup in stop motion and the behind-the-scenes action. For some more information on the final piece and all its creative process visit: Go Here!

~ photos by julibd ~ 

[Mix&Match] Series Preview

So this is it. My final hand-in for my MFA is due tomorrow and these are some of the images of the [Mix&Match] Series that are going to be part of the written project. The aim of this reflective journal is to communicate most of the research methods used throughout the studio practice and illustrate the creative process from beginning to end of the 21 pieces.

  

The top image shows the visual thinking through the sketches of the non-functional vessels and the second, shows the 'chamán' from the series.

~ photos by julibd ~ 

[ visual thinking ] first week of april

So basically this is me trying to make sense of my thought process throughout my [mix and match] collection. For my final submission, I've been asked to explain what research methods I am using in my practice and I hadn't realized how the Visual Thinking is such a huge part of my artistic process. I am planning on including all these drawings as part of the piece, because I feel these communicate a more playful side to the objects themselves and in the end, communicates the personality of the collection. Hopefully this will encourage engagement, discussion and more creative responses from my audience.  So.. there you go!
~ photos by julibd ~ 

[ in the workshop ] second week of march

The countdown for the Degree Show has officially started now! It is very exciting yet a bit sad how time is running out and my two years of MFA are coming to an end. I wanted to share a bit more of my process and what I am going to be doing these couple of weeks. These are some photos of the works in progress and snapshots of some of the first [ Mix and Match ] nonfunctional vessels. 

{ Visual research and my understanding of the glass piece- Sketch and photo of the Mix and Match component. Alabaster/white color overlay with engraved pattern} Love the thickness and the play of the pattern. This was a gift from Che. He has given me several blanks that he was going to throw away, and I am glad he didn't. I started to saw off into bits and this is where these amazing components came from. 

This pictures above show: - two of the Mix and Match nonfunctional vessels in the inicial 'quick project' stage, - action shot of the saw cutting parts of the mint green blank and - the last one shows all the other new parts from the sawed blanks. I am very excited to start cold working these and playing around to build the other nonfunctional vessels. Laters!
~ photos by julibd ~ 

< Quick Project > Jan. 18th 2013

"Quick Project - Jan. 18th" This mini animated gif shows my thought process in action when playing around with the glass 'rings'. These were engraved this week as part of my component collection. Also I am fascinated with the casted shadow and how it gives a whole new dimension to the simple  engraved pieces.

~ photos by julibd ~ 

< Visual Exploration & Studio Work come together/Part 2>

{Moss from our walk to Arthur's Seat and engraved sample from the "Cut" series}

{organic lettuce at the farmer's market on Castle Road and tiny engraved perfume bottles/ clear glass}

{amazing ceiling at the David H. Koch Theater- Lincoln Center and bottom of engraved manufactured glass bottle}

{nyc lilac, cream and mint lettuce that looks like lace and engraved turquoise blank}

{vibrant pitangas from our graden back in Costa Rica and engraved pattern on decanter}

{double shadow of beer in plastic cup and shaping molten glass on the iron}

"Visual Exploration & Studio Work come together: Part 2 " So the collection continues to grow. I feel this is a very simple yet effective way of communicating my inspiration and showing the links to my studio work. These reference my creative process as an artist and it is easier for the spectator to relate to my world. As you can appreciate, I am drawn to the patterns and textures from my surroundings and how they are translated and appropriated into my work.

~ photos by julibd ~

< Visual Exploration & Studio Work come together >

{sights from our Highland road trip Scotland and my engraved yellow sample also used as a stamp}

{lovely nyc purple lettuce and royal purple perfume bottle/ engraved sample}

{agave plants from the Royal Botanic Gardens of Scotland and workshop samples of my quick projects using green beer bottles}

{old photo from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and some curvy engraved glass pieces}

{London architecture lit at night and a very detailed engraving on clear glass}

"Visual Exploration & Studio Work come together" is a mini exercise for me to organize and understand my creative process a bit better. Also it explains in a quick and easy way, what visual connections I make, collect from my inspiration, experiences, memories, etc. and how all of these come together in my work.

~ photos by julibd ~

< Quick Project > Manufactured glass versus Craft

Ever since I got back from Pilchuck, I tried to practice Michiko Miyake's Quick Project technique. This consists on giving yourself time to do sketches, drawings, collages, pretty much anything, to stimulate the creative process and come up with new ideas without any restrictions from your brain. This is basically trying to avoid sabotage and let your creative side of the brain be the boss.

This is one of the many that I've done since. This is particularly interesting because I am using a bottle mass produced and constructing a new connection to Craft, by engraving unique marks.  

The picture above shows the process from beginning to end. Step 1, 2, 3 & 4.

~ photos by julibd ~

< Inspiration > London

I wanted to share some of my pictures from our trip to London. What an amazing city! I didn't know what to expect, and ended up loving it, can't wait to go back and explore it some more! These ones are of specific buildings/ architecture that caught my eye. Enjoy :D

~ photos by julibd ~

< Cold Working Samples > Red Bubble + Yellow Tumbler

These are some more cold working samples. The blown pieces are trials I made in our HotShop Color Module and then I practiced engraving on them. These were great ways to find out what the different diamond wheels could do and try to create a pattern, giving a little character to each piece. 
Red Bubble: 17 width x 17 height cm. 
Yellow/white Tumbler: 7 width x 9 height cm.
~ photos by julibd ~

< "Protection" Project > details of engraving

Hey there! As promised, here are some more pics of my project from the end of my first year of postgrad. I was inspired by all the different varieties of cactus and started to experiment blowing the glass forms and later engraving on the patterns. As you can see, I had so much fun with this, that the whole project is made up of 50 engraved cacti + flowers!! Each one is unique since no cut can be repeated. What do you think?? Later on I will post pictures of the whole composition!

Also if you could visit my facebook page and support my work by liking it, that would be amazing! All the support is very much appreciated :0) 

-------------------------------------------------> julibd - Art & Glass <--------------------------------------------------------

 thanxs again and see you soon!

{juli

~ photos by julibd ~ 

< Cold Working Samples > Small Tumbler

Hello there! I am very excited because I just finished my first year of postgrad studies! The best thing is that I decided to stay for the two year program so this means that I have had more time for the exploration of new techniques that I had never tried before. Of course, I fell in love with some of the most complicated techniques: glass blowing and glass engraving. These techniques will take me many, many years to master, but I've enjoyed them soooo much, that I am very excited to see where this leads me...

If you have noticed, I haven't posted much since I've been a little busy. But now that I'm officially in vacation, my only task is to photoshop a bunch of pictures to share my progress with you. So here we go!

This is a glass tumbler that was blown by Ingrid (our technician) and Meg (artist in residence). Since this was one of their trial pieces for their new line and didn't end up using, they gave it to me :D It has a lovely shape and I decided to engrave a simple pattern on the bottom. The coolest thing is that since the bottom of the glass is thick, the engraving is mirrored and therefor looks like it multiplied! Making this a very delicate and simple way to add intrest to your new set of tumblers.  

Let me know of you are interested in a set of these, we can make them specially for you and ship them over :0)

~ photos by julibd ~

< Random Snapshots > Hello again!

After many (manyyyy, manyyy) days of not posting, I want to recap some of the highlights of these past few months. Since I have been very busy, the good news is that I have many pending posts of cool stuff and new projects. Meanwhile, here are some pictures of my inspiration and a new test piece.


# Minto House: We had our first meeting regarding the Concrete Project at Minto House and this beautiful staircase caught my eye. The woodwork and contrast in color really look so simple yet soo beautiful. 
[soon a new post with the details of the Concrete Project!!]


# Vintage Jewelry: There is this little store in Lady Lawson Street, right across from the ECA campus, and every time I go in I want to take something home :/ I don't know what I love more: if the Vintage Light Emerald Earrings (I don't think they are actual emeralds but it doesn't matter because they are gorgeous!) or the Vintage Little Box?! These remind me of some jewelry that my great grandmother gave to my grandmother, and since they were bought in an auction from their previous owner, they must have a lot of history since they are from the 1920's... <3 


# New Test Piece: This is one of three color samples that Che [a PHD student from Korea] gave me since he was going to throw them away :D {thanks Che!!} I really love the shape and color and I think that with some engraving, it could look very interesting. It's still a work in progress, soo eventually I'll post some more pictures. :0 ) 

~ photos by julibd ~

"Kith & Kin" Symposium at Sunderland University

This past 10th February, 2012 I had the chance to attend the Glass and Ceramics Symposium at The National Glass Centre, Sunderland. 

It was a great opportunity to understand a bit better the artists' point of view when creating the work that was part of the "Kith and Kin" New Glass and Ceramics Exhibit. [Barnaby Barford, Niel Brownsword, David Cushway, Erin Dickson & Jeffrey Sarmiento, Cerith Wyn Evans, Angela Jarman, June Kingsbury, Rachel Kneebone, Andrew Livingstone, James Maskrey, CHristopher McHugh, Colin Rennie, Nick Renshaw, Gabrielle Wambaugh].

I really enjoyed how each artist explained their own way of rationalizing their art and the process in which they work, from the idea to the finished product. On top, you can see some of the work that caught my eye, obviously most of it is glass... 1] Colin Rennie: With his piece, he wants to explain "Negative Entropy: measuring the lack of chaos in a closed system". His process is mainly inspired by science and technical data. 2] Angela Jarman: "Carambola" flawless work inspired in the genetic intervention of man over nature. 3] James Maskrey: "The Worst Journey in the World" hot blown bottles and glass sculpted detail on top. 4] Jeffrey Sarmiento & Erin Dickson: "Emotional Glass" is really interesting because the piece was thought and built for the exhibit's location. This is the 3D representation of what a leak looks like, after taking a time-lapse of the leak for some hours. All the drops on the floor were traced and then rendered into the final work. It is amazing to see that stands from floor to ceiling, i'm not sure how many sheets of 7mm flat opaque glass are stacked together but I' sure it weighs a ton!! 5] Cerith Wyn Evans: "Permit Yourself". I don't have any pictures of the work of June Kingsbury, but I strongly recommend to take a look, her work focuses on memory and absence and it is worth seeing. The rest of the work in the exhibit can be found here!

So there's still time for people in the area to take one last look, since the exhibit ends on the 19th February, 2012. Enjoy!

~ photos by julibd ~

< Organic Casting Technique! > Golden Peach

After many days of having this video done, finally tackled the technological difficulties and managed to uploaded it :) 

Soo, this is a photo secuence of the Organic Casting Technique. It consists on making a plaster mold of anything organic. In this case, we all used fruits and vegetables for the class project. I used a half of a Peach and it is amazing all the detail the plaster manages to take in and reproduce. 

The process basically is: 

- taking the organic fruit and making a plaster mold out of it. 

- burning out the organic element in the kiln

- clean out the ashes from the mold 

- and use the negative mold of the Peach, to fill it with glass and 

now you have a Glass Peach!

- in this particular case, I decided to try Gilding (applying gold leaf) as a test piece to see the effect /color/ texture. 

I also made one Broccoli and came out very well! Later I'll post some more pictures!

~ photos by julibd ~

< ECA Hot Shop > Demonstration # 1

I've been meaning to show you all this video demonstration since we started the Hot Shop Module 3 weeks ago at ECA. Ingrid Phillips (our very talented teacher, technician and artist ) wanted to show the class what would be too much air when blowing a glass bubble. So see for yourselves... 
This video shows some amazing characteristics glass has to offer as a medium and how little time there is before it cools down and could eventually break. I'll keep on posting, enjoy! 

~ video by julibd (special thanks to Austyn for filming :0) ~