SENTINEL
DARK ORANGE RED
2′-4″ h, 11″ dia.
COLLECTED
Open design glass sculptures
Sentinel is a tall and open glass design and is a replacement piece for #26 which failed during casting. (Explained below.) I liked the feel, movements and open design of my #26 glass sculpture so much, I decided to have a second go at it. Thus #27, Sentinel.
Never content to leave well enough alone, I altered the design a fare bit. I have often thought that if I started out with two identically sized wax blanks, drew identical layout lines on them both, and then started sculpting, that the resulting design would be different. This experience proves the theory.
The #26 mold blew out, and, instead of the original 30 inches tall by 11 inches diameter, I only got the lower 14 inches of the piece. (The lost wax, kiln cast glass process is not foolproof! I suspect the size/weight/pressure of my glass pieces in the kiln have literally and figuratively begun to push the envelope.) That 14″ segment has promise and I may cold work it some day, but I have not yet returned to it.
The up swept motion of both #26 (explained here, but which you have not seen) and Sentinel (#27) were inspired by Blue Tango and Escape Velocity. They each call to me — and suggest other approaches. So, I expect more works of this nature may present themselves in the future.
Creating this piece
Wax in progress and glass from foundry
This is my #27 sculpture, from wax cylinder to the piece back from the foundry…needing cold-working. That means, in order to complete the piece as you see it above, I did grinding, sanding & finishing.
