Awards in Store
The article featured front page of the Hamilton Press on the 15th of August 2012.
Photography and video by Shane Morton.
Cast Glass Supplies - all together now!
Di Tocker of Dicastglass is thrilled to announce that her online store for Glass Casting Supplies is up and running.
Glass Casting Supplies online
"This is a first for New Zealand" Di says, "Up until now Cast Glass Artists have had to shop here, there and everywhere for the numerous supplies they need to create glass artworks".Products include various size bags of plaster, silica and grog, wax, fibreglass, pots, safety gear and kiln items.
Blackwood Casting Crystal
Dicastglass is also stocking Blackwood Casting Crystal, an alternative to the casting glasses already on the market in NZ. Di speaks highly of Blackwood Casting Crystal; it is the casting glass of her choice, for it's true transparent quality and easy release from the mold.Di says the aim of the online store is simplicity.
Order online...pay online...delivery to your door.
Re:fraction - outdoor sculpture exhibition on again!
Once again you can look forward to the wonder of glass outdoors in the spectacular setting in the rock garden at Waitakaruru Aboretum and Sculpture Park.
Tim Walker, former director of TheNewDowse and now a freelance curator and consultant, is curating this year’s exhibition which will be on from the 6th of October to the 18th of November.
This exhibition is open to all emerging and established glass makers from New Zealand.
If you are interested in exhibiting at Re:fraction click here.
www.sculpturepark.co.nz
WOW for the Winter Workshop
Beginners take to glass casting
On Saturday the 14th of July nine very happy students broke open their molds to discover some awesome pieces of glass. The firing worked well and the surface finish of the Blackwood lead crystal was near perfect. Di Tocker says "The beginner students work never ceases to amaze me. The fact that these guys know so little about the process and come out with such great pieces is so cool".Cold working - hand lapping - grinding and polishing
After a fabulous (birthday - Barbara) cake for morning tea (thank you Lynnda) Di explained the ins and outs of kiln schedules. After 20 minutes of theory the students were definitely ready for more hands on work. Some bases needed cutting on the diamond saw and then it was time for hand-lapping the bases using silica carbide grits from 80 through to 600. Di then polished the base surfaces to a full polish on the linisher.Advanced Glass Casting - they are coming back!
So happy with the results, that six of these students have enroled immediately to come back for Di's advanced workshop next month.Check out images of the Winter Workshop 2012
Winter Workshop glass cooking now!
Students return to the lure of cast glass
As usual it was an excited crew that turned up for the Winter 2012 course. We had 5 new students, 1 from Auckland, 1 from Te Puke, 2 all the way from Wellington and 1 local. Three students from the greater Waikato came back to learn more after having done their first courses with Di in 2008, and 1 student came straight back after doing the Summer 2012 Workshop.
Cast glass forms - always variety
Di says "It never ceases to amaze me that every course, sees every student make something completely different". We had some great ideas this time. Inspired by nature we had a nikau palm, rock formation and a landscape. Then art forms such as stone henge, and an interpretation of Urenuku and dress inspired by WOW, and Chinese calligraphy on a wall plaque. And lastly a faceted gem stone cast in sapphire glass.Kiln full, controller on...and now we wait
The students will return on the 14th of July for the great unveiling and the last day spent grinding and polishing the glass forms. View photos of the course.
University of Waikato awards to be cast in glass again
The awards are repeated from an original model Di Tocker specifically designed for the University in 2008. 'Pinnacle' is similar in style to the carved figures Di Tocker is known for and is cast in graduating red, gold and clear glass. This unique and substantial award stands 300mm tall and weighs 2.6kg, engraved with gold lettering it comes with its own presentation box.
Di welcomes visit from Jenny Scown - Inspirit Gallery
Yesterday Jenny Scown of Inspirit Gallery and Pip Stephenson of Tamahere Forum visited Di Tocker's studio.
Jenny has been stocking Di's glass artworks for the past 3 years. Di says "Jenny is a great gallery owner to work with, as she is always keen to understand and share the process with potential buyers. However, even after many conversations about technique, I knew Jenny would benefit from seeing the process first hand".
As most people are, Jenny and Pip were astounded by the amount of steps in the process, justifying the often higher price tag on cast glass. Jenny described the processes as complex, and she is not wrong.
Di explains "I am inviting people to visit me in my studio to give people who are interested in cast glass art a total understanding of the complex processes. To give a voice to the glass".
Read Pippa Stephenson's article in the Tamahere Forum.
ArtsPost team visit Di Tocker's Cast Glass Studio
Marion Manson and the staff from ArtsPost spent a couple of hours at Di Tocker's Cast Glass Studio on March the 15th. Di issued the invitation after Marion had expressed an interest to understand the cast glass process.
While the ladies enjoyed a wine and a nibble Di explained the processes and equipment she uses to get to the finished glass. Di was in the middle of a 'batch of paper people', meaning that she had some waxes ready to mold and some molds already steamed out. So Di demonstrated the process of hand molding a refractory mold, glass selection and loading the mold and glass into the kiln.
It was an enjoyable evening and the ladies were simply amazed at the involved processes of casting glass.
Thanks for coming ladies!