Blog Archives

Update: Facebook Live + Artist of the Month at Pittsburgh Glass Center

9/30/2017

Hello Lightning Tamers!

It's been a while since my last post. So what's going on? well, I've been working on a new segement for the next podcast of Taming Lightning, something a little different called Speakable. Think of speakable as Audiobook for content, be it articles or blog posts that relate to the Art, Science, or History of Neon and Plasma. This was largely inspired by my love for audio books, and the podcast Optimal Living Daily Podcast that is centered around narration of articles and blog posts, with given permissions. So I thought I’d give it a shot to help fill in the gaps when interviews and discussions, and to be able to give life to content that most will not have seen otherwise. If you like audio books, then this will be something you'll like (though I'm no professional when it comes to voicework).

Most my time has been preparing for the Artist of the Month demo at Pittsburgh Glass Center. A mad dash as I try to produce and experiment with neon and plasma! I've been exploring the use of live streaming through facebook live, and below I'll share with you my recent studio session!

Featured Artist of the Month | Pittsburgh Glass Center

One of the most influential and impactful moments in his academic career was a trip he organized with the ISU Glass Club which later became the Gather Glass Club. They visited various studios including: Fire Nation Glass Studio, Toledo Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and Corning Museum of Glass.

Facebook Live 9/28

In this Session I'm working in the Flame Studio working using a torch on borosilcate glass (hard glass) while one of my pieces is being processed in the kiln.

When it comes to plasma, and more importantly neon you want to get a close as you can to absolute vacuum with is around 1-3 microns. The heat from the kiln help release impurities stuck in the glass, water vapor, and dust as the vacuum pump evacuates the piece.

Though I had to fix a few small leaks, it was quite successful.

While my piece was in the kiln, I started to mess around and prepping to fill some scientific glass elements. (more on that in the next post).

The piece I filled is a work-in-progress, if you follow me on instagram or browse through the linked images on the home page, you may be familiar with this shape I made month or so during the summer.

I left tubulation longer in case I wanted to change the fill at a later date. Had two leaks that we're easy to find but tough to seal.

Noosphere, 2017
Neon gas, Flameworked borosilicate glass, electrode, transform, and electrode.

"Clouds are about nature and the mind. A cloud is an illustration of thought, when hovering over a subject. It is shapeless, and our minds give it figuration."

A post shared by Percy Echols II (@glass.percy) on Sep 28, 2017 at 9:23pm PDT

Feel free to send your questions to this email, share, and comment!

Thank you,

Percy Echols II
Sorcerer Apprentice ⚡

Taming Lightning

glass.percy

feedback@taminglightning.net

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Podcast EP3: James Akers - Waver and Hacker Artist

9/10/2017

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In today’s podcast we’ll be talking with James Akers a Neon Sculptor and self-proclaimed Waver and Hacker Artist.

images from James Akers facebook account

James is an artist, educator, and mad scientist who has a explosive approach to making. Graduating from Alfred University with a BFA in 2015, he is constantly thriving for change, and fascinated by waves of all kinds: sound, light, electricity, he is synthesizing a new mindset: The “Hacker Artist.” James Akers has shown his work internationally, been the recipient of public art commissions and has received numerous awards and grants for his practice. Up until his recent move to Arlington, Texas with his lady Ali Feeney who is pursuing her MFA at UTA, he was teaching neon at the Chrysler Museum of Art, and head processor at Riehl Deal Neon. Currently, pursuing new work and new possibilities in Neon and Plasma. Known for packaging ideas on art and life by creating a series of highly exhibitable electric sculptures.

We’ll look into his transition from ceramics, to glass, and by extension Neon, his unique approach to using neon tube bending with found objects and video installations, and defining what a waver and hacker artist is.

Show Notes

Intro Music: Boost by Jakim Karud
www.joakimkarud.com
https://soundcloud.com/joakimkarud

Outro Music: Re-Entry by Lapse
https://soundcloud.com/lapse

The Intro is boost by Jaokim Karud. Jaokim is a swedish artist who loves to produce chill and happy music, and does so for copyright free use. Be sure to support his music by giving credit when used, subscribing, and or by donation. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Soundcloud, and Spotify.

Images are linked to @jamesakers2 instagram

Transition from Ceramics to glass and neon at Alfred University, under Fred Tschida and Sarah Blood
His Assistantship and work as Contracted Neon Instructor at the Chrysler Museum of Art and how it influece aspect of performance and Neon.
Working as Neon Processor for Riehl Deal Neon
Defining the Waver and Hacker Artist:
- Waver: An artist making work that generatees light, sound, and electrical signals.
- Hacker Artist: Artist working in a system that they are actively changing.

Thank You for listening to the Taming Lightning Podcast. We have many more guest to come, with future guests returning to expand on questions, practices, and a variety of subjects. I’d like to thank Pittsburgh Glass Center for supporting me as well as encouraging me to pursue this project, and The Plasma Art Alliance, whom many of my guests are connected through. Keep an eye out for next summer’s classes at Pittsburgh Glass Center as we work to provide a space for learning neon and plasma. Also, I’d like to thank James for taking the time to be a guest on the podcast, especially in the midst of his travels, and seltting in at Arlington, Texas. I wish him the best in his job search, and excited for what he makes next!

Feel free to send your questions to this email, share, and comment!

Thank you,

Percy Echols II
Sorcerer Apprentice ⚡

www.jamesakers.net

@jamesakers2

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FAQS: Color of Gases used in Plasma and Neon

9/4/2017

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

Podcast episode are long in between, to fill that time between each release, I've started to approach a list of question I've been asked, or have for myself to help us learn about Plasma/Neon. So one of the basic things we will look at in today's post are the colors produced by individual gases used in both Neon and Plasma.

There are three ways to augment color in Neon and plasma:

1. The colors produced by the gas and it it's mixtures
2. The color of the glass used
3. The use of phosphorescent pigments, that illuminate by UV produced by the ionized gases.

Neon and Plasma Tubes and Sculptres are essentially gas filled vessels that are excited into an ionized state through high voltage electricity.

Traditional neon, that is light work typical in neon signs will often use Neon, Argon, and mercury.

Plasma Neon or Plasma Light, which can be tubing or free form blown glass, will often use krypton and xenon as part of it's mixture to give you the plasma globe visuals, with a comibination of other gases including Neon, Argon, Nitrogen, and Helium.

Noble Gases

These Gases make up less than 1% of the air in our atmosphere with Nitrogen making up 78% and Oxygen 21% .
Refer to my post FAQS: Where do these gases come from? which includes a link on the idea that Xenon gases come from comments, and video on how these gases are separated from the air we breathe.

Helium-Pale Peach

Greek: Helios "The Sun"

Neon-Red/Orange

Greek: Neos : "The New One"

Argon-Purple

Greek: Argos "The Lazy One" or "Inert"

Argon + Mercury- Sky Blue

Krypton- White

Greek: kryptos "the hidden one"
AKA poor man's Xenon
Typically used to give the filimentary effect typical of plasma globes

Xenon-Whitish Blue

Greek: Xenos "The Strange Ine"

Most rare and expensive of the noble gases at 1 part per 20 million, to put that in perspective it be like finding a normal sized dice that was placed on the football field!

Also commonly used to give flimentary effect typical of plasma globes

Almost forgot the include some videos from my friend Carl Willis. Carl is a Nuclear Engineer, and Health Physicist, who is someone who applies the physics of radiation protection for health and and health care purposes, but also a dabbler and maker of plasma tubes. Be on the look out for Carl Willis as guest on a future podcast!

Carl has a few videos on his youtube channel, they are very informational, and explains the content in his video clearly and in a way to easily digest what he's talking about. Enjoy!

In this video he talks about using Neon gas in a discharge tube, with other gas mixtures.

This video he talks about Kypton and gas mixtures using a iodine as a dopant, and how it is different than Xenon. I hope to cover more on that later, most addative can be dangerous to your health or damaging to your equipment if not handled with the utmost safety and care.

Feel free to send your questions to this email, as well as share and comment!

Thank you,

Percy Echols II
Sorcerer Apprentice ⚡