Jones Art Glass
Rashan Omari Jones (sole proprietor)
1401 Pennsylvania NE #1145
Albuquerque, NM 87110
505-217-8535,
JonesArtGlass@gmail.com,
www.glassartists.org/JonesArtGlass
“Lets do the Twist…”
High Desert Twist How-To by Rashan Omari Jones
Photos by Andrew Brown
Introduction: Living in Albuquerque, NM is a beautiful thing; I am treated to some of nature’s most exquisite colors. As a Bead maker I best describe my style as natural, organic; and I’m happy to have found a bead that can capture that. The way the colors flow throughout the High Desert Twist and wrap themselves around spiraling outward is further accentuated by the twist of the bead itself. The shape truly displays the character of the High Desert. “Sometimes ebb sometimes flow but constantly in motion… “ Beads are a therapeutic release for me. Since I switched my focus to them I’m finally making the glass I’ve always seen in my minds eye. I’ve been a Boro Beadmaker since the spring of 2004. I had met Lewis Wilson a few years prior and he had such a profound affect on my career in glass that I turned to beads. In February 2004 I had an opportunity to work with Kevin O’Grady at the Best Bead Show in Tucson. I learned how much hard work and delicate detail could go into both making and marketing successful beads. I returned home to a head full of new ideas and spent a lot of time on the torch honing my skills. Soon I looked at glass in a whole new way. It was as if a love of beads had somehow awakened a whole new side of creativity within me. I would drive to the studio and notice how vibrant purples streak across the horizon at sunrise, or pay more attention to the golden sandstone browns and creams of the West Mesa. Next thing I knew those same colors were turning up in my beads. I also captured the rich greens of our forests and riverbank areas in the spring, and the streaky golds and ambers of a New Mexico Sunset. Once I had a color palette I was comfortable working with the Jones Art Glass High Desert series was born. I am creator of both the High Desert Twist as well as the High Desert Blown Honeycomb. The Bead Expo Show 2004 in Santa Fe was my first real bead show I vended at. Andrew Brown, Bryan Kitson, and Harold Cooney blessed me with an opportunity and did so much more than just let me on their table; they helped me establish the confidence to create. What follows is a Step-by-step for the Jones Art Glass High Desert Twist Bead…Thank you for enjoying my work and taking some time to spend with me. I spend most of my time on the torch here in Albuquerque, and I teach beginning Borosilicate classes on the weekends. If you ever find yourself in the Desert check out my class schedule and all my latest work, available on my gallery site:
www.glassartists.org/JonesArtGlass. I can also be reached at 505-217-8535 or
JonesArtGlass@gmail.com.
Materials:
1 12in 14mm rod
1 rod GA Caramel Luster
1 12in 4mm rod
1 set Nortel Stainless Steel Mashers
1 1/8in Tungsten Pick
A few words on Tungsten:
This How-To includes a brief discussion on Tungsten picking. Tungsten is a metal and when too much heat is applied it can fume a yellow gray residue onto your glass. It’s a skuzzy film that can be burned off with a high heat but its best just not to do it at all. As well as aesthetically unpleasing, it is also dangerous when done without proper ventilation. Tungsten picking is a fun and inventive technique and is an excellent addition to your glass knowledge. It takes a lot of patience in the beginning to get your heat controls proper but its well worth the practice. Good Luck!!
Heat the tip of the Caramel Luster and draw vertically down the 14mm rod. Maintain an even heat s that the stringer is even all the way down. I enjoy using the Luster Series from Glass Alchemy as a color palette for the High Desert Twist Pendant; the high silver content of these colors adds different shades and hues into the final bead that are very eye appealing. Tip: if you choose any cadmium-based colors, i.e. yellow, orange crayon be sure to fully encase them.
Rotate the rod place five equal lines of Caramel Luster evenly spaced around the rod. Tip: keep the torch heat on the tip of the color so that the 14mm rod doesn’t soften and bend while laying the lines.
Using the 4mm rod, encase each line of Caramel luster with a coat of clear.
Attach the 4mm rod to the end of the 14mm rod.
Slowly rotate the rods even in the heat until it reaches a pink glow. Then slow the spin of your hand holding the 4mm rod. The lines will begin to twist like a barber pole stripe. It’s important at this point not to stretch the gather of glass.
Continue heating the 14mm rod all the way to the end of the Caramel Luster lines, intermittently slowing one of your hands to continue twisting the colors together.
Once the colors are twisted completely; flame cut the 4mm rod off the twisted color.
Heat the color back into a gather.
Once you have an oval shaped gather center it into the mashers and squeeze. Tip: I usually set my mashers for a 1/4inch press
Take the gather out of the mashers and make sure the disc shape is centered on the 14mm rod.
Reattach the 4mm rod to the end of the disc shape.
Take the centered disc out of the flame and allow it to cool so that no orange glow is present before reintroducing it to the flame for the final shaping.
Place the center of your flame into the center of your disc and heat evenly. Flip it over 180 degrees and heat the opposite side. Tip: It’s important to the final shape that only the flat sides of your disc are heated. The goal is to raise the core temperature of the disc without losing the shape of the narrow sides.
Continue heating the disc from either flat side until it softens and glows near pink, then stop your hand holding the 4mm rod and the disc will begin to form into the twisted shape.
Take it out of the flame and allow too cool; once out continue spinning both your hands evenly until the bead cools a bit. If necessary reintroduce it to the flame to further intensify the twist shape.
Flame-cut the 4mm rod off and smooth out the top of the bead with the flame. Take it out of the flame and allow too cool until the orange glow has faded.
Slowly heat the heat the end of the Tungsten pick about a half-inch behind the tip and roll it quickly in your fingers as you push into the glass.
Continue pushing the pick through and heating it softly in the back of your flame as far back as possible while maintaining as dull orange glow. Tip: if you get your tungsten pick too hot it will fume your glass an ugly gray. A super high heat can burn it off but that same heat can distort the shape of your bead.
Push the pick back through the opposite side to make sure the hole is true from both sides of the High Desert Twist. Then pull it out of the hole to inspect the pierce hole and flame polish.
Reattach the 4mm rod and center it onto the High Desert Twist taking care not to get the pierce hole to warm that it collapses. A cold seal is preferred.
Flame-cut the 14mm rod off the bottom of the Twist.
Flame-polish the end of the bead and take all the clear off leaving just beautiful striated colors.
Grasp the High Desert Twist with tweezers and snap of the cold seal of the 4mm rod.
Flame-polish the end and kiln.