I haven't worked "off mandrel" in awhile. "Off mandrel" is the same as "off hand" meaning that the heated glass is not wound around a stiff wire (mandrel) to create a beadhole. The hot glass is heated and formed free hand into its final shape. Off mandrel can be more challenging because you don't have the help of the mandrel to hold the glass - you have to create your shape and then eventually you'll need to hold it with a set of tweezers - making sure the glass doesn't crack as a result of touching the tool.
So, last week, I sat down at the torch with some new colors and played. I wanted a modern look, where the form and shape was the focus.
The shape comes from how the glass changed form from a solid to a liquid to a solid again like how rain becomes icicles and then will become water. It felt like I was doodling to create these glass links - ranging in size from 15mm to 24mm in diameter. The links are entitled "Organic Glass Links" but I think I'd prefer to call them Doodle Links. What would you call them?
