Category: Articles

Article | Light in Hand: The Art of Plasma and Neon

5/7/2019

Hello Lightning Tamers!

GASnews just released their Spring 2019 magazine featuring the article Light in hand: The Art of Plasma and Neon written by Jamie Marie Rose featuring Sarah Blood, Amy Lemaire, and myself! The article focuses on three artists who work in the medium of plasma, neon or both, and arguing the value of one's involvement and understanding of the medium to be important for growth in the medium.

*You can find the Article on page 8

GASnews Spring 2019

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Hot Shop & Electrode Attachment | Hot & Cold Methods

2/16/2019

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

Episode 10 Light up your World with Plasma is finally underway in the editing phase! The episode will give a overview of Pittsburgh Glass Center's first Plasma Summer Glass taught last year, and will include a Quick-Start Guide to Plasma Glass Making.

I've become a little more active in the studio and have setup my phone to document crucial parts of my Vessel Crafting process. Today I'd like to share with you two methods for attaching your electrode in the Hot Shop!

Hot Method | Stick and Blow

In this method you'll attach your electrode using a blow hose by heating both the opening and the electrode end with a torch. Then you'll stick and blow to create an even transition between the two glass.
This can be done on the steel (pipe/punty) on the final heat or after it has been knocked-off like as demonstrated in the video.

You will typically only get one-shot, so relax, take your time, and make it count!

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A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Feb 16, 2019 at 5:42pm PST

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A post shared by Percy Echols II (@taminglightning) on Feb 11, 2019 at 3:45pm PST

Cold Method | Drip / End Seal
**aka tubulation
This method is the similar as the Hot Method.

In the Hot Shop, this is done by creating a long thin neck or tube on your vessel and annealing. After it has cooled you can cut down the neck to your desired length. Then you can slowly heat the glass and electrode to stick and blow.

This approach gives you ample time and positioning to attach your electrode, though you will have to deal with the tube sticking out of your piece.

*In Flameworking you will NOT need to make a long thin tube or neck in your vessel due to having ample control and thermal resistant properties of your glass.

Pittsburgh Glass Center

Pittsburgh Glass Center is one of the top glass facilities in the U.S. Rent the studio today!

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ARTicle: FEATURED ARTIST: STEPHANIE SARA LIFSHUTZ

5/14/2018

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FEATURED ARTIST: STEPHANIE SARA LIFSHUTZ

In the last room at the end of the Gallery's studio wing, there's a black curtain. Some visitors eye it with cautious curiosity, mentally debating whether or not the room is part of the show; others boldly pull the drapery aside and peer in.

“WITH MOST OF THE WORK I MAKE, I TRY TO FIND THE BALANCE BETWEEN SUBTLETY AND LOUDNESS. SO, I TRY TO MAKE THE PIECES SOFT AND QUIET, BUT I HOPE PEOPLE CAN SIT WITH THEM AND REALLY THINK ABOUT THEM. THEY’RE LOUD IN THE WAY THAT YOU CARRY THEM WITH YOU AND REVISIT LATER.”- STEPHANIE EXPLAINS.

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ARTicle: Western Neon Lights Up Seattle

4/30/2018

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Rainier, Vita, Uncle Ikes & more: Western Neon lights up Seattle

History is strewn around the room at Western Neon, and it's nearly blinding. You can see it right as you walk up their front stairs: Caffe Vita, Rainier, the Seattle Sonics. In the back it's the Seattle Homestead sign, waiting to be restored to its former glory.

Western Neon

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Mondo Neon Podcast - EP 1 Rich Flores

4/21/2018

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Hello Lightning Tamers!

I'm not the only Neon Podcast anymore, I'm excited to share with you Mondo Neons First episode with Rich Flores, please checkout the link below. Max from Mondo Neon reached out to me on Instagran, and we both agreed to do a crossover episode in the future.

Thank You,

Percy Echols II
Taming Lightning ⚡

Episode 1 - Rich Flores

Former disc recording engineer and artistic pioneer Rich Flores is a man whose life and career have changed in real-time with the evolution of neon signs. Rich grew up immersed in radio in the streets of Brooklyn.

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ARTicle: How to Make Neon Signs: Lite Brite Neon

12/7/2017

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How to Make Neon Signs

Neon lights have been beacons of industry and modernity since they were introduced, en masse, in the early 20th century. One hundred years later, though, their method of production can still be painstakingly artisanal. In Kingston, N.Y., Lite Brite Neon keeps this tradition alive.