Click Below to See a Video of the Dragonfly Sculptures in Barcroft Park

Video of Recycled Glass Dragonfly Installation

Kiln Cast Recycled Glass Dragonfly Project: "Destination"

The landscaping is in and below are a couple of photos I took this morning.

More Colors: Orange and Black

Orange (tangerine, not burnt orange) has always been my absolutely favorite color. According to Wikipedia, "the color is named after the orange fruit, after the appearance of the ripe fruit.[3] Before this word was introduced to the English-speaking world, the colour was referred to as ġeolurēad (yellow-red). The first recorded use of orange as a colour name in English was in 1512,[4] in the court of King Henry VIII."

If you favorite color is orange, (see http://www.care2.com/greenliving/favorite-color-personality.html?page=2),
"this color of luxury and pleasure appeals to the flamboyant and fun-loving person who likes a lively social round. Orange people may be inclined to dramatize a bit, and people notice them, but they are generally good-natured and popular. They can be a little fickle and vacillating, but on the whole they try hard to be agreeable. Orange is the color of youth, strength, fearlessness, curiosity and restlessness."

Wikipedia states that "Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light. Although black is sometimes described as an "achromatic", or hueless, color, in practice it can be considered a color, as in expressions like "black cat" or "black paint"."

If black is your favorite color, it can mean you are "dignified and impressive without being showy and you want to give the appearance of mystery. But this color preference may also indicate a suppression of desires and worldly aims, suggesting hidden depths and inner longings."

And of course, we cannot forgot the symbolism of black and orange on Halloween.  Black cats, the night, vampires and witches are all associated with the color black while orange is connected with pumpkins.

"Art Glass Today" by Jeffrey Snyder/Schiffer Books

I just received my copies that I ordered and it is an amazingly beautiful book.  It is available on amazon.com.

Color Associations: Pink and Blue

As artists we are often interested in adding just the right bit of color to our works whether they be paintings or sculpture. I was always interested in how different colors came to be associated with certain things such as "blue for boys", "pink for girls." I assumed this association went back a hundred years or more.

But, according to Wikipedia, "In Western culture, the practice of assigning pink to an individual gender began in the 1920s[13] or earlier[14]. From then until the 1940s, pink was considered appropriate for boys because being related to red it was the more masculine and decided color, while blue was considered appropriate for girls because it was the more delicate and dainty color, or related to the Virgin Mary.[15][16][17] Since the 1940s, the societal norm was inverted; pink became considered appropriate for girls and blue appropriate for boys, a practice that has continued into the 21st century.[18]"

Pink is a mixture of red and white and the use of the word for the color we know today as pink was first recorded in the late 17th century.[2] Blue is one of the primary colors and the word itself is derived from the Old French word "bleu."

Next time, my favorite color "orange."

The Second Job

The Symbolism of the Dragonfly Installation Project: "Destination"

Cindy Ann Coldiron

Destination, 2010

Kiln cast recycled glass

Residing in a circle that is intersected by three paths, in Destination by Cindy Ann Coldiron (b. 19xx) the dragonflies are all flying towards their goal of the center concrete and glass "pond." Dragonflies symbolize renewal, change and activity and each of the three paths lead to different destinations in the park. Since the dragonfly lives a short life, it knows it must live its life to the fullest. in the shortest time. This destination for them is a pond but for each of us, it is something different. The number 40 signifies maturity and completion of a test or trial.

Coldiron created each dragonfly for this "green" project using 40 hand sculpted clay models that were cast in plaster and silica. After removal of the clay, the mold was filled with discarded bottle, window or plate glass. Colorants were added using frits and enamels along with a special glow powder for some of the molds. The molds were kiln fired at over 1550 degrees Fahrenheit. After cooling, the glass was cold worked with a wet tile saw and sandblasted.