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emtnest

Golden Gate WIP

emtnest
13 years ago

Just starting a new window of the Golden Gate from a pic I took.

Comments (54)

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    WIP=work in progress, gog=glass on glass. TG= tempered glass
    I do prefer to do my gog's over my photo. It is my way of doing it, it works for me. Most people make what they call a cartoon, or a drawing. I take most of the photos that I work from and I find it easy to do that way. I was gifted with a lot of old windows and stained glass from an old church recently and so that is my medium for now. A little further down the list is a portrait of my niece that is on an old window as well. YW= you're welcome.. :)

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Got some more done today on the Golden Gate

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    OHMYGOODNESS, EMT: That is so beautiful!!!!!!!!! It looks like a photograph, it's so perfect. Your shading is great. What w/you use for the - don't know what to call them - struts - those vertical stringers?

  • barbfrizzell1955
    13 years ago

    WOW it is looking great! You did a great job on the cables. What did you end up using?

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Slow, the vertical stringers/cables are already there...I used heavy gauge florist wire and painted it red...was tricky getting them glued down... thanks for such encouraging comments..

  • secondlouise
    13 years ago

    That is amazing, spectacular, aweinspiring, no words can convey my admiration for the work you do. I am still scouring books and learning about paper mosaic, plaster mosaic, tile making etc. I think I am getting overwhelmed. Hopefully I will soon run in to "stained glass on glass mosaic". I keep looking at your "golden gate" (not that I could begin to do that) for inspiration to get started. I have the stained glass and the glass from the picture frame to put it on. I know what I am going to do. I guess the next step is to organize and cut my glass. Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful work.

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    Man, am I impressed. Those wires are PERFECT. You are a real piece of work, EMT. Fandangtastic. I'm lovin' this project.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Oh thank you all...Secondlouise...just do it..that's the only way, just dig in and do it...I have to say, I am trying out the sample of mac glue I got and I am loving it... so will have to get more.

  • Calamity_J
    13 years ago

    Love it!! Especially those cables..ingenious!!!

  • secondlouise
    13 years ago

    I am eager to see what you do with the hills, water, etc. I want to get started and now have looked at all the books both libraries have. Can anyone recommend a basic book that spells out the steps to use when doing GOG and regular mosaics? I don't need to know all the other ways to do mosaic right now. I just want to buy what I need, have it all togeather and get started. I would like to have some instructions to refer to when I start. Thanks.

  • addiesue
    13 years ago

    You truly are AMAZING! I LOVE this! The cables really add a touch of realism to it. If I didn't know better, at a glance, I might think I was looking at the real thing. This is going to BEAUTIFUL...can't wait to see it grouted. What color are you going to grout it?

    Addiesue

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Well, I decided to do tg for the sky background... and not so sure I'm happy with it...I think when this is done I might do another and leave the cables open with no background. But here it is so far...

  • calinromania
    13 years ago

    that's gonna be a great golden gate.
    can't really picture the finished one.
    is it gonna come grouted or something?

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    Could you paint behind the TG, EMT? That's what I've seen lots of TGers do. I love this project - no matter what you do w/the rest, it's great already.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    I have considered that Slow...not sure how it's all gonna play out yet...

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    getting frustrated with this one...too tedious and wires won't cooperate...

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    GORGEOUS. You'll get there. I'm still lovin' this project. I'm tellin' you - that bridge is spectacular, and your landscape behind is going great. You got it, girlie.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Slow, I'm concerned with the green, it seems to jump out at me...thank you so much...

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    I learned when I was painting in oil that the cool grays read distance, and the brighter, warmer colors come forward. Have you considered putting some blues and grays in to make the landscape recede? Look at your photo - the greens are very gray/bluish. The yellows are very light and grayish. The foreground shrubery - in front of the bridge are very dark, bluish greens. I realize the colors in stained glass don't offer lots of choices, but perhaps TG over paint w/work. I'm a firm believer in using whatever media I can to achieve my goal - paint, glass, whatever. I'm sure when you finish, it's gonna be very pleasing. After all - LOOK AT THAT BRIDGE!!!!!!!!!!! It is a wowzer.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    the only prob I have is that I risk breaking the whole thing by taking up glass as I used mac glue and it really sticks...dang...yes I knew that rule too when I did it..I'm taking the bushes out in foreground and making it all water.

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    And it'll be a wonderful work when you finish. You know what you're doing, so keep it up.

  • addiesue
    13 years ago

    emtnest....what about tinted tg mixed with your clear tg? I got some tg from a friend that works at an auto body shop and it looked clear until I started to use it and then I realized it had a grayish tint to it. If you splotched it among your tg you could achieve the look of an overcast cloudy day giving it contrast that we see in the picture.

    Addiesue

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Yes Addiesue, I have some of that, but the tg between the cables is already glued down..that's a good idea though, thanks...I do think I'd like to do another one and just leave it open for sky. I like the look of the wire alone for cables.

  • wackyweeder
    13 years ago

    I am just catching up to this, and holy cow!!!!! It is amazing! I love the cables and I also love the look of the clear TG you have between them, Its quite amazing! Are you going to grout the clear TG part? I think it looks very sky-like as it is and would want to leave that part ungrouted-just a thought, but its really gorgeous!!

  • silvamae
    13 years ago

    This is going to be stunning.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Thanks all for such nice comments...Waiting for mac glue to arrive so I can get 'er done! Guess I could grout the bottom part while waiting....not sure if or how I will grout the sky...flying here by the seat of my pants...

    http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s242/emtnest/Golden%20Gate/2009_0825001.jpg

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    BEAUTIFUL, EMT - love it.

  • Calamity_J
    13 years ago

    Looking Good!!! Love the stand you have it on too!!!heh heh! And that Elephant ear water dish!!! WOW!!!

  • addiesue
    13 years ago

    Looks gorgeous and you're not even done with it yet! Nice job!

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Here it is... I took out the covered wire, didn't like it..and couldn't get it just right. I grouted the bottom but not the top... afraid the cables will be completely lost with grout...

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    Well if you don't beat all. This turned out absolutely gorgeous. Smart cookie - it appears the cables WOULD be lost if grouted. My goodness, this is such a wonderful piece. Girlie - you are something else. What a fantastic job of mosaicing.

  • aka_strawberrygoat
    13 years ago

    the tg is perfect for the sky around the bridge. it's totally what San Francisco is all about, during it's fog, misty, drizzly weather.
    as a kid, we lived in the Bay Area and got many day trips across that bridge and even as a young girl, I remember the sky being on the grey/gray end of the color spectrum.
    you did a wonderful job of depicting the bridge. I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco but I do have strong, vivid memories of it.
    We lived in El Sobrante, next to Richmond and Pinole.

    do you have pictures of Alcatraz? that would be a good study to do on glass, too...all the pelicans, sitting on the shoreline.....

    great job you did there....

    Becky

  • Calamity_J
    13 years ago

    Good Job! I love the rippley blue water! Good glass choice! Kudos to you for using the tg glass too, I just can't do it, tried a project with that stuff... and found it too much work!!heh heh!

  • chinatreasures
    13 years ago

    EMT that turned out beautiful! When I looked at the first picture I was wondering what you would use for the wires and see that you didn't like your choice. Could you have used "stringer" (I think that's what it's called). The thin glass rods used for bead making?

    I love seeing all the projects here and cataloging techniques for later use. Now, I just need to find out where to get the motivation!

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Oh China, that's a splendid idea.. I am planning on making another that needs to be all red for entering in a gallery showing. Will check that out..

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    On the other site someone brought it to my attention that the red column needs grout too... when I get back from Montana in two weeks I will grout that too...it will bring it all together...

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    I hadn't noticed that the columns need grout - the grouted ones underneath look like they're in shadow. If I were to grout, I'd probably use a lighter grout in order to keep the appearance of shadow on the bottom. I w/never tire of looking at this peace - it's absolutely beautiful. Excuse me for dreaming of possibilities on this. It's soooooo wonderful as is, but being a mixed-media lover, and noticing the faint images behind the TG, I'm wondering what a painting behind the TG w/be? - like a very subtle, shadowy/foggy sky on watercolor paper. Just a thought. I LOVE this, EMT. You are VERY good at this GOG business.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Oh thank you Slow, you're so sweet.The painting might look great... but I think if I were to do it I would paint right on the glass...remember the Mt.Shasta window? I painted the scene right on the glass before I did the tg. Little late for this one.. but I guess it could be done on the back...

  • addiesue
    13 years ago

    I absolutely LOVE this! Reeeeaaaaally great job! The cables really bring a sense a realism to it. You are very creative! It just hit me that your tg isn't grouted...is it? I've used tg in the past and am always disappointed in the results and I think thats why...I always grout it. So where are you going to hang it?

    Addiesue

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    Looking at this again, and wishing I had it. It's wrong to covet, I know, but this really knocks my socks off. Yeah - where are you hanging it? Outside? - what's your address? LOL.

  • concretenprimroses
    13 years ago

    Incredible! What an ambitious project and a very beautiful result.
    Kathy

  • Calamity_J
    13 years ago

    Ever since you started posting this...I seem to be spotting that bridge more and more when I am watching tv shows!!!!lol! Wierd! I say..."Hey! There's Emtnest's Bridge!!!"

  • kacram
    13 years ago

    wow.. i'm speechless!

  • aka_strawberrygoat
    13 years ago

    why does the sky part have to be grouted?
    I too, like it as is..
    I mean, can't you spray it with a sealant and leave it the way you have it?
    a lot of people's mosaics have parts of them left with areas left alone...
    I vote for leaving the sky the way you have it now...
    it's clean, crisp and has it's own sparkle.

    and I wanna know your address too...(lol)
    slow and I can arm wrestle for it, if we find you...

    Becky

  • texaswild
    13 years ago

    I agree - it's absolutely perfect. LOL, Becky, you'd probably win - I'm worn out from flower gardening - digging new beds etc.

  • emtnest
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Well now... I do live in California and hope to get this piece into a gallery somewhere...right now it is hanging on my covered deck. My niece's portrait went to live with her so this took it's place. It is finished. Don't plan to grout the tg. I like the way it is. Thank you for all your nice comments.
    Right now I'm hanging out in Montana with son, dil and new grandbaby Evelyn. It is so fun here, they are outdoorsy type and we take a hike in the woods everyday. They are determined to help me lose lbs!!!

  • fldirt
    13 years ago

    Very, very, very nice! You did a wonderful job as always. Have a good vacation & relax.

  • wackyweeder
    13 years ago

    Its so beautiful finished! Im glad you decided not to grout the sky-its perfect! Great great Piece!!!!

  • amerique2
    13 years ago

    WOW, Emt. I'm speechless. Love the darker red underpinnings in shadow.

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