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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => USA => Topic started by: lambden on June 10, 2005, 07:31:40 PM

Title: Graal vase - ID = Jonathan Winfisky
Post by: lambden on June 10, 2005, 07:31:40 PM
Can anyone tell me anything about this piece it is marked on the base with wm fisty or it coud be winfisty 1981 10/15 it is a sweet vase  and about 4" tall

Title: Graal vase
Post by: lambden on June 11, 2005, 09:47:44 PM
I think it is grall, I also have a large fish graal by Orrefors and they compare well, is graal when they paint on the glass and then encase the glass again?
Title: Graal vase
Post by: Frank on June 12, 2005, 09:11:19 AM
No, the paint and case technique is fairly recent innovation intended to give a graal like appearance - fortunately it is usually used nowadays to exploit its own nature. Colours tend to be more gaudy.

Graal is made by casing a number of colours onto the usually clear parison ground and then a design is added by sandblasting. etching or carving. then the parison is heated up and dipped in clear before blowing to shape.

It is time consuming and requires very high skills from the glassmaker - there is a very high failure rate, either cracking or design distortion, and hence the high cost. Lindean Mill's first attempts to create graal panels was a complete failure with every single piece breaking. They later succeeded for the Millenium clock work.

The above example is not graal.
Title: Graal vase
Post by: Leni on June 12, 2005, 11:22:13 AM
:D FOUND HIM!  :D

Nicky, the maker of your beautiful vase is Jonathan Winfisky!   :D

He also makes paperweights!  Woohoo!   :D

He has his own website - www.winfiskyglass.com

Leni
Title: Graal
Post by: Anonymous on June 12, 2005, 02:42:49 PM
Franks definition is right on. Unfortúnately, I do not agree with his assessment that many crack at least not
in the Swedish factories.
If they crack, the gaffer has not annealed them properly or discovered whether or not the colors are compatabile.
If not, they will crack because of the different coefficients
 of the colors and the clear glass.

Paradise Paints in California developed a paint which can be used to paint a blank and then overlay it with clear without oxidizing the paint. David Hopper, glass artist, owns this company. In other words, the painted image remains. Ulrica Hydman Vallien has used this paint when designing glass.
Bill Geary
Title: Graal vase
Post by: Max on June 12, 2005, 02:53:00 PM
Wow Bill, you don't post often, but when you do, it's fascinating!  That's given me a wonderful insight into the technical problems associated with Graal - thank you.   :D

And....that Californian paint sounds verrrry interesting.  How I'd love to combine my two favourite things, painting and glass...any chance Adam A?  :wink:  :roll:
Title: Graal vase
Post by: KevinH on June 13, 2005, 10:46:21 AM
I can't say from the pics whether Nicky's piece is really "painted graal" or simply hot worked glass encased within clear.

A Google search for "Painted Graal" shows some interesting examples. Here's a quote from one site for Höglund Art Glass, describing the new technique:
Quote
Painted Graal

Painted Graal is a challenging and exciting new technique for Marie Simberg-Höglund. She has painted on glass as a surface decoration before, but this is a completely different technique. Here the image is first painted on the small initial bubble, then trapped between layers of hot glass before being blown into its final form by Ola. The painted image is stretched and expanded by the blowing, a technique demanding great skill and control.


Let's hope that "Painted Graal" does not become regularly described as "Graal", but I suppose in eBayLand it will be inevitable  :)
Title: Graal vase
Post by: Anonymous on June 13, 2005, 12:11:45 PM
Quote
Kev said: Here the image is first painted on the small initial bubble, then trapped between layers of hot glass before being blown into its final form by Ola.


Hmmm.  I've been thinking about this, and wondering what on earth they use as a painting utensil on hot glass?   :?  :?

On a similar note - well, not that similar I admit - there's talk on whitefriars.com about glass blowing tubes.  Someones put a pic on the 'Is It Whitefriars' section of someone actually blowing glass using glass tubing, and what looks like a glass pontil rod too...why doesn't it melt?  Doesn't it get very hot?  Isn't it really tricky snapping off the pontil rod? I could ask permission to copy the pic here maybe...?
Title: Graal vase
Post by: aa on June 13, 2005, 01:43:14 PM
http://www.winfiskyglass.com/gallery.html?item_index=0&portfolio_item_id=23&portfolio_cat_id=6#focus

Note: these paperweights are described as "Blown glass paperweights with various colors and inclusions"

Quote from: "aa"
I can see why you describe it is Graal. The encased decoration is reminiscent of some Graal vases. However, although one can never be sure from a picture, I think it is extremely unlikely this is Graal.


I never like to say definitely until I am 100% sure, because although it would be unusual, "the twigs" or "branches" could have been achieved using Graal, though this would be unlikely. The description of "inclusions" to describe the "twigs" confirms that it isn't Graal.
Title: Graal vase
Post by: aa on June 13, 2005, 01:55:38 PM
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,1025.0.html

Max, this thread has quite a lot on Graal. When using Paradise Paints, these are applied at the point where in Graal the engraving or sandbalsting is done, so it is done cold. If it still remains a mystery I'll try to clarify later! :D
Title: Re: Graal
Post by: Frank on June 13, 2005, 08:12:38 PM
Quote from: "Bill Geary"
Unfortúnately, I do not agree with his assessment that many crack at least not in the Swedish factories


That is true, in my rush I should have made that part specific to Lindean Mill's first attempts at making flat panels from a blown Graal cylinder.

General failure can occur when the design does not work as intended.

My knowledge of Orrefors graal (the original) is very small. They have used the technique long enough to do it without problems.
Title: Graal vase
Post by: Max on June 13, 2005, 10:11:23 PM
Quote
Adam wrote: When using Paradise Paints, these are applied at the point where in Graal the engraving or sandbalsting is done, so it is done cold


Right, that makes sense, it was just that KevH quoted from the Hoglund website:

Quote
Here the image is first painted on the small initial bubble , then trapped between layers of hot glass before being blown into its final form by Ola


So, I was thinking it was hot...

I think my brains crumbling due to over stimulation... :shock:  :o
Title: Graal
Post by: Bill G on June 14, 2005, 05:26:48 AM
Ulrica Hydman Vallien, the wife of Bertil Vallien and an accomplished artist in may mediums including glass,
in her book from 1990,  describes the "kabal" technique  where Ulrica uses Paradise paint on the blank
after the design has been cut. The blank is then overlayed with clear crystal and blown out into the final form most often a heavy vase.

She also defines another method. The blank after being cut and painted is overlayed with a colored glass rather than the clear crystal. Cold workers then cut away to present the images in the glass. It si called a Jewel Technique.

Thought the group would be interested in this development.