I needed to catch up on myself a little, so this session was one where I had to re-cut the glass I broke as well as speed through the painting process, so that I did not have one piece left behind.
The leg sections after the first firing of the water based paint
After checking that the painted sections of the leg had fired ok, I found the last piece of pink glass big enough to cut the foot shape from again. I'm now fairly confident about cutting, so managed this without mishap. The issue was could I catch up with the painting? I therefore went back to the water based paints, ground the edges down and washed my newly cut foot shape and laid a matt ground and blended it as I had done before. I then left that to one side and began the process of oil painting.
Mixing lavender oil into the dry paint
I had bought a small bottle of lavender oil from Boots during the week, (£4.70) as I knew this would be needed and as I had had a cold it had the added bonus of its smell helping to keep open my airways. Again, as with the water based painting it was important to add the oil very carefully, blending and blending with the small palette knife.
Once mixed a fine sable brush was used to apply the paint. I had used this technique before and I wanted to use a version of the way I had handled the paint again. I also had a choice as to whether or not to oil the glass surface with the lavender oil before I started, as this can help flow. In this case I decided not to do this.
Previous example of my stained glass painting, with silver staining for the yellows
The area of paint that surrounds the central image was done using an oil painting technique, over the top of a previously fired water based layer. I was using an almost 'pointalist' technique and liked the way I could use it to vary tonal values.
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Detail showing how the oil paint texture has to be applied to flow across from one piece of glass to the next.
Painted section now with the foot completed on a switched on light-box
Once I was feeling confident that I could get the quality of image I wanted, I added in the water-based section, painting directly on top of the unfired tone and line drawing. I had to be vary careful not to touch the surface, as this would remove bits or leave marks, but by using a bridge I was able to put the two methods of painting together, so that the foot section could be fired at the same time as all the other leg components.
Leg section as it appears when the light-box is switched off
You need to keep switching the light-box on, so that you can see how the glass will look when light is behind it. However because the leg section is a long one, it is slightly too long to see it lit all at once.
Cleaning the brushes was done with neat lavender oil, a paper towel was soaked in it and the brush gently worked into the towel until it was clean and all the time trying to ensure the tip is kept pointed.
The next area to work on is the figure of Sooty and this is quite problematic, as I need to find a way of making the image work for stained glass. My idea is that the Sooty figure is a sort of fetish and as such is rather like a religious icon. Therefore the style of rendering must indicate this. However first of all the pieces that make up Sooty have to have their edges ground down to remove all the sharp areas that might cut into the expensive brushes used to lay grounds and finally the surfaces are cleaned by being given a good wash in soapy water.
White Sharpie numbering used to identify where all the parts go
All cleaned and edges ground down
These pieces are now all ready to paint, but I now had to spend time getting my head round how I wanted the final image to work.
I had an earlier study made to help me think about how the image of Sooty would fit into the surrounding cut glass fragments but it wasn't right, it did though point the way.
Study: Acrylic Paint
The study did not take into account the various different tonal and colour values of the glass that will actually be used. The eyes are in the wrong place and the ears are wrong, but I liked the idea of making Sooty hirsute, it feels more Medieval. Therefore I returned to the cartoon and developed the image of Sooty, to more accurately reflect the decision making that had occurred during the process of cutting glass from fragments that were available in the studio.
The stained glass Sooty before silver staining on the back: Cartoon study
Thinking about the fetishistic hairyness of Sooty
To complete Sooty the eight pieces that make up the body will need to be visually cohered and to do this the two clear sections of glass will need to be silver stained on the back, this will even out the colour, making it a varied but intense yellow and hopefully add to the fetish/religious relic effect. But I think it will be the painting of the texture and how it is done that will signify the ritualistic nature of the image as fetish.
From the Vyne Chapel, Sherborne St. John, Hampshire: 1525
Lamb of God
The sacrificial Lamb of God is closer to the concept of image as ritual fetish. The texture is modelled to give an idea of weight and volume to the lamb as a 'lamb', but the lamb is also a spiritual thing, a substitute for Christ.
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