Mt St Helens

[Tre V]

     Next Saturday, I'm taking a soldering class. Besides lack of artistic vision, this is my greatest weakness. I have to have a piece ready to solder, so I thought I would use the same photo that I use as background for my business cards. (Who imagined I would ever need business cards!) Anyway, I used my Rapid resizer to print out a picture that is 21 7/8x12 3/4, and will start drawing out the pattern today.
     This is a picture I took of Mt St Helens from the Columbia River, just down the road. The volcano is actually not as close as it looks..about 95 miles away.

[ct4mom]

Tre, That is going to make an awesome panel.You will have to share any tips you learn in soldering class.

[JoanFrances]

Tre, you don't give yourself enough credit.  First off, you have a ton of artistic ability, which you proved when you choose the glass for projects.  And I haven't seen anything wrong with your soldering of the pieces you have posted dear. 

Even after all the time I have soldered, there are times that I run into fits with it.   Soldering and fitting of pieces are the two things that everyone frets about and it takes time a practice to get them.  The pieces I have seen of your's are well done.

By all means if you are slow at it or you feel you need some tips for being even better go for it, but don't put yourself down.  I thought mine was terrible and that I needed more help with fitting the pieces, and an instructor I had, told me I was way to hard on myself.  It made me feel really good because this man's work is in Churchs all over the country, he has studied everywhere and has been doing this art for 35 years.  I was trying to compare my work to people like him and only time will give us that.

Let us know how you make out.  Love that picture btw, it will make a beautiful panel.

[Audrey]

That will make a great piece. Soldering is my weakest point, too, and then fitting pieces. You are lucky to be able to take a class.

[Kev]

I look forward to seeing the pattern Tre. Have fun with your class.

[Tre V]

As you can see I changed my mind a time or two with the water. I also have a major hinge along the waterline where it meets the ground..I'll have to support that. In real life, above the beach spits, are a line of alders, but what they hide, that is exposed along many parts of the river are spectacular cliffs, then trees above, so that's probably how I'll do the glass.

[Kev]

Tre...any other way of breaking up the sky rather than those 3 cut lines? Something more natural looking?

[Tre V]

Tre...any other way of breaking up the sky rather than those 3 cut lines? Something more natural looking?

Everything I tried was too horizontal..the darned thing is so horizontal anyway.  I
will gladly take suggestions.. um...with the exception of a huge plume of steam, ash and molten rock   

[Kev]

lmao about the lava. Could you add some clouds in the sky? Or add striations of color for the sky?

[Anne]

that's a lot of cutting and foiling in the next 4 days Tre. Had you given any consideration to making fewer lines/cuts? And I agree with Kev regarding the sky, just a few rolling lines with maybe a cloud in the mix?

[Tre V]

I'm working from the bottom up, so I've got time to fix the sky.. I tried taking that center line out, but that didn't help much.I'll try the clouds....

[Graham]

I agree on adding clouds or something to stop those cut-lines from just looking like cut-lines.

Is the treeline to be foil overlay??

[Tre V]

I agree on adding clouds or something to stop those cut-lines from just looking like cut-lines.

Is the treeline to be foil overlay??

Graham, I've never done a foil overlay but since this is going to a soldering class, that would be a great idea!

I'm just having a hard time with that sky. I tried clouds and it still didn't look any more natural to me.  Horizontal lines in the middle of the sky looked just as weird to me as the current ones do. I have everything cut out except the sky, so the next hour or so is the deal breaker.  I dunno...

[Graham]

It's a pretty big piece, but a simple shape. The sky could be a single piece

Or, just a single plume of steam rising from the peak, would break it in two.

You want some light clouds - use a wispy blue with white.

[Tre V]

Well I changed it up a little from the original plan. I had some white wispy seedy that I used for a few clouds. I'm not sure I like it any better, but it is more horizontal.   I'll work on foiling this afternoon.  The soldering class is Saturday.

[Kev]

That looks much better Tre ! This is going to look very nice in the light! I look forward to seeing it ! Thanks for sharing with us.

[Audrey]

I really like the sky in the bottom one.
Take good notes in the class and share.

[Anne]

I like the bottom one too Tre, looks very natural.

[ct4mom]

I vote for the bottom one as well. Its going to be a gorgeous piece.

[Tre V]

Here it is foiled. Yes, I'll let you know what they say at the soldering class.