Fusing

 

Facing the Unknown. XII-2023

 

I would like to show you my project, which didn't quite turn out as planned and will have a continuation. It's called "Facing the Unknown" (2023, December). The original image and plot are taken from the Spanish manuscript Beatus Silos Apocalypse 1091-1109. In the original, the plot is rather eerie - a red dragon of the Apocalypse wants to devour a child from a pregnant woman dressed in solar garments. I have a fondness for medieval manuscripts and have dozens of works from various manuscripts made with powdered glass.


Suddenly, I wanted to become the heroine of this picture and attempt to tame the dragon. The shield held by the woman in the picture inspired me. I have my stained glass "Sunrise Flower" (2010), which has the shape of a shield and of which I am proud. It's my emblem. I decided to stylize myself in the main role. With silver hair and a rather plump figure, I left the silhouette, removed the hood, and stood before the dragon with uncovered silver hair. The dragon didn't expect anything like that, and all its heads stared at me in curiosity. I started sprinkling luminous crumbs of coloured glass before me, which put the dragon into a humble state. That's my plot.

I love the delicate work of powdered glass; I've been using this my own technique for eleven years. But I've never done anything thinner than my own shield. I redone it eight (!) times. It's the best my hand could do. Believe me, it's very delicate work. I apply small details on the front, and color them on the back. The thickness of the layer of glass powder is approximately 4-5 mm, and I fused it in one go. Unfortunately, there are bubbles on the edges of the work. The woman, that is, me, turned out well. The dragon has bubbles.

But the miniature, 6.5" x 8.5", is simply charming. I really like it. I decided to create three identical miniatures and test them on different thermal profiles to find the best one. The experiment will be called "Taming the Apocalypse Dragon."

 

2023. My projects.

In 2023, perhaps for the first time since 2014, I worked at full capacity as much as I could. I worked both at home and at the Atelier, where I go twice a week for art therapy for people with mental issues. I am bipolar. In 2023, I moved, and now I have a new, spacious, bright studio where I enjoy working very much. So, I worked not contrary to the circumstances but with tremendous pleasure and enthusiasm.

The year began with the creation of Fantasy #N+1, my own music in glass. This is how I call my improvisations, where I try to create compositions that come to my mind.

Then I made the Lavender Song. I had a very beautiful piece of glass, and I decided to make it even more beautiful. The project turned out to be very simple and very effective.

Working on Shinobu was a long process. I messed up the first one - it exploded in the kiln, but I promised my son to create his favorite anime character in glass. I couldn't find an approach to her until my son told me that she is Hashira - the highest recognition of Mastery in the ranking table. And suddenly I heard her name. It occurred to me that she is called Shi. The name of this work became clear right away, which looks amazing in English. She is Shi. And as soon as this came to my mind, I immediately created the piece. The full name: She is Shi. Hashira Shinobu Kocho.

Then I moved, and in the new studio, I started a very interesting experiment. I found the work of Goyo Hashiguchi (Standing Beauty, c.1920). It depicts a beautiful woman in a transparent negligee. And I came up with the project Three Graces. I made three different faces, three different hair colours, three different nail colours. But the figures of the graces were made with one contour. I shaded the bodies and made a transparent negligee in three different ways. I had no idea what would come out, but it turned out to be a very interesting and graceful work.

The next piece is Becky. Earth-born Cat, also a miniature, measuring 6.5" x 8.5". I really like this size. It results in small works that are convenient to hold and display on a desk. So, Becky is my son's cat. And for the first time in this project, I attempted to draw the cat's portrait with glass powder myself. In other words, I didn't place Becky's image under the glass but looked and drew. However, technically, I made a mistake - I applied black powder, forgetting that it is the most fluid during firing. And Becky's portrait turned out with holes between the applied powder. I'll redo it; I need to refine this moment.

The next project was emotionally challenging. In March, my stained glass teacher, Rock Laplante, passed away. It's a significant loss for me; I first met a professional who taught me a lot. He was my instructor at the Atelier. We had an amazing resonance. I did many stained glass and fusing projects under Rock's observation. And I decided to write sad music in glass. An integral part of the project is the explanatory text. Here's what is written on the work. This project is called Requiem. For Those Whom I Lost On My Way. Canary Yellow is the color chosen to represent my path as a glass artist from September 2014 to May 2023. Garnet Red represents my unhealed wounds. Aventurine Blue represents my healed wounds both old and new. The Opaline stars represent the melody for the healing of the wounds of my soul. Aventurine Green represents my creativity during this period. I salute those who are still alive! I mourn for those who have left us... The music is sadness.

I worked on the project 11.25° for a long time, several months, almost half a year. It's my first work from the series "Games of Geniuses." The design is based on a drawing by Leonardo da Vinci, reproduced in a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer. I recreated this amazing ornament in glass. The text written on the work states:

I called this project 11.25° as I observed 32 repetitions in the inner circle of the Ornament. The Ornament was created by Leonardo da Vinci and was reproduced in a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer (circa 1507). During my glass work on the Ornament, I discovered that it consists of six threads; four forming the main structure and two threads serving as auxiliary elements. This is the first work on my glass series "Geniuses' Games." 1 out of 7. Glasswork and technique by Julia Protkova. June 2023.

The project Magic of the Alhambra is the result of my admiration for the amazing ornamentation of the Alhambra Palace and the exploration of complex geometric patterns. I saw it during my visit to the Alhambra in 2022, and I also used a sketch by M.C. Escher from 1922 when he visited the Alhambra. I intentionally changed the color palette and even created a small video to show how this intricate 16-ray ornament forms so wonderfully.

The project Arctic Adventure is a stained glass piece created by me at the Studio. A sailing ship glides through the Arctic Ocean, and fluffy snow gently falls. This is my third sailboat, designed by me. I have a stained glass sailboat with crimson sails, one with pink sails, and now there's a sailboat with blue sails, filled with the cold northern wind. I love the Arctic; I spent five years working there in my youth. This stained glass piece is a reminiscence of my youth, of the years spent in the Arctic.

The project Creation of the World is my own interpretation of the Creation of the World. I believe that our world is a research laboratory for God.
Before I show you the works, let me present the beginning of the text for the project.

Once upon a time, there was God. And He had countless different games. And suddenly, a Thought came to God. To create a material Universe. And to breathe Spirit into every particle of the Universe.

God was extremely pleased with the Thought. And God began the preparation for the materialization of the project. Firstly, God contemplated the elements that would participate in the materialization. These were the finest particles visible only to God. They had different properties, compositions, and colors. God took a grid - the portal's blueprint - and decided it would be the coordinate grid to track the process of Materializing the Thought.

My entire cycle of the Creation of the World consists of Ten Steps.
Step 1. Materialization of the Thought. (The Big Bang).
Step 2. Division into Light and Darkness. (Dynamic Duality).
Step 3. Division into Elements. (Earth-Water-Fire-Air).
Step 4. Creation of the Cosmos (Stars-Sun-Galaxies...)
.......

I will show the first four Steps of my Creation of the World project, made in 2023. All four works are united by the Thought, depicted in different colours (Steps 1-3) or laid out with Opaline balls symbolizing stars.

Step 1 of 10 is called Materialization of Thought. Essentially, it is my vision of the Big Bang. Here, the glowing Pimento Red Thought is depicted against the background of the distribution of the primary material in all directions.

Step 2 of 10 is called Dynamic Duality. In this work, the Thought cools slightly and turns Orange against a background of yellow-purple interactions. I avoid creating purely black-and-white interactions because they represent radically polarized points. I selected three shades of yellow and three shades of purple to create a dynamic background.

Step 3 of 10 is called Alchemy of Elements. In this work, the Thought takes on the cooled hues of glacial blue ice. The background for the Thought consists of multi-layered interactions of the primary elements - Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.

Step 4 of 10 is called Creation of the Cosmos. In this step, the Thought is laid out with Opaline balls. This signifies that the Thought has not just cooled but crystallized, giving rise to stars. This piece was highly experimental - I tested many aspects.

It's also worth mentioning that the Creation of the World project was fired in two stages.

The project Facing the Unknown was created in December 2023. I provided detailed information about it here. In brief, I stylized it after the Spanish manuscript Beatus Silos Apocalypse from the early 12th century. I chose to be the main character in my glasswork and tame the dragon of the Apocalypse using sparkling fragments of coloured glass. It's a very interesting project that didn't turn out quite as expected - there are bubbles along the frame of the piece. I plan to redo this work and try new thermal profiles.

The work on the Amber Ship has been a very important project for me. I've been nurturing this idea for about fifteen years. I want to create an Amber Room, perhaps a cafe, where only shades of amber will prevail. From floor to ceiling. After all, amber comes in various shades - from milky white to brown. In this amber room, there will be a mystique - a meeting of the living with those who have left our world. I made the Amber Sail from medium sized frit, and I managed to match all the shades. I am very pleased with this work.

2022. My projects

I'll start my story about the works of 2022 with the Fish Fantasy project. It is a recreation in glass of M.C. Escher's woodcut titled "Fish and Scales," from 1959. Maurits Cornelis Escher is my Inspiration. I admire his Talent and Mastery. It's not just admiration; I want to train myself to reach a similar level of expertise. How to do that? It requires following the path of the artist M.C. Escher precisely and meticulously. In 2022, I completed two works inspired by M.C. Escher.

When I create my glass recreations – and in my collection, there are already five Van Goghs in my interpretation, five Dürers in my interpretation, three Kusamas in my interpretation, and now, two Eschers in my interpretation – I assure you, I understand the Responsibility that comes with such projects. I put my heart into it. For me, these works are like conquering peaks for a mountaineer. But I am deeply convinced that my coloured glass breathes new life into these masterpieces.

So, Fish Fantasy. It turned out to be a very refined piece of work. I made an effort to capture every dot and line. Beautiful artistic glass.

And here's another piece - my interpretation of M.C. Escher's woodcut "Stars," created in 1948. While Escher was primarily interested in spatial geometry, my focus was on... Love. This work is dedicated to my reflections on love, believe it or not. Let me explain. First, I'll show you the text written on the artwork:

This work is called Chameleon Love. It is a recreation in glass of the woodcut "Stars" by M.C. Escher (October 1948). I changed the color scheme of the work to highlight my idea. For me, this work is about the love of two beings who are close in spirit and able to adapt to each other's characteristics in such a way that they can coexist in a narrow space. Glass work and technique by Julia Protkova. 2022.

Now, let's take a look at the chameleons. At the top is a red-green female chameleon, and at the bottom is a green-red male chameleon. Each chameleon has the colors of the other. They complement each other, they are both similar and different at the same time. I've created a slideshow during the process of working on the Chameleon Love. It's very interesting, and I recommend taking a look.

Now I'll show you three works created using medium sized frit. I want to emphasize that working with glass powder and working with glass frit are two significantly different processes. In 2022, I created three works using medium-sized frit. The first one is called Irises 2022. I recreated Van Gogh's Irises, painted by him in 1889, using frit. For me, this is the second recreation of Irises. My first work, titled "Irises. Inspired by Van Gogh", was done in 2018. Through that piece, I climbed out of a prolonged, very heavy, four-year depression. You can find the story about that work in my blog here. Several years later, in 2022, I decided to repeat Irises using a different technique to gain a deeper understanding of my inner state. Van Gogh was bipolar, and I share the same diagnosis. I feel like I hear him very delicately.

Working with frit is fascinating. Notice the beautiful shimmering effect that appeared in the Irises.

The next piece I'd like to showcase is called My Caprice I was working on a morally challenging project called "Eyes of Depression" - it was emotionally difficult, and I was reliving those years of darkness. Suddenly, I got fed up with it all. I took glass frit and decided to create something on a whim. As a result, this work incorporates many hidden experimental and future ideas. 

After creating "My Caprice," I got into the swing of things and made Caprice #2. In this piece, I incorporated several dozen experiments that I had been contemplating for several years but hadn't had the chance to bring to fruition.

The trip to Spain, specifically to Andalusia, in March at the beginning of spring, was a monumental event for me in 2022. It was absolutely amazing. I had been dreaming about it for fifteen years. Upon arrival, I created Symphony #2 on the spot, but unfortunately, it exploded in the kiln. I was a bit disappointed but still decided to make a souvenir for myself and created a project I named Flamenco by Julia Protkova. The idea is that I am the one dancing flamenco.

I took the silhouette of a flamenco dancer and replaced the face with a red spot. The grey, coarse glass frit is meant to reflect, in my opinion, the intense rhythm of the dance and the sound of the heels tapping, while the multicoloured lines represent the swirling flounces of the skirt. A fan is held in hand. So, what does the red spot instead of a face signify? I'll tell you. It represents me being out of breath, blushing, and barely breathing from the fiery dance.

The next piece I'll share is created using glass powder and is titled Eyes of Depression. Here's what I wrote on this artwork:

This work is called Eyes of Depression. This is a recreation in glass of the grotesque by Daniel Hopfer (ca. 1515-1520). I changed the color scheme of the original.This work is meant to remember the darkest period of my life - four years of endless depression. I did not know how to live my life after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I lost myself. I became afraid of people. I had to relearn how to live. Glass work and technique by bipolar artist Julia Protkova. May-June 2022.

The thing is, I had already made this drawing in 2014, and it turned out to be a very striking set of two plates, which I shared here. But for me, the turning point between a normal life and a life on disability due to bipolar disorder was the end of 2014. In other words, one work was made BEFORE, and the other AFTER. When I fired the Eyes of Depression, they turned out to be not as striking as the previous work done in 2014.

The next artwork is the Impromptu Vase. I did all the color work in glass, and Rock Laplante  fused it to create the vase.

The work Prayer is a conceptual work. It was conceived suddenly and created in September 2022. The prayer is addressed to God the Geometer - the Creator of the Worlds. I often turn to God in my works. I have no doubt that there is a Supreme Intelligence in the Universe. I am convinced that we know very little about the world around us.

The work Prayer has undergone numerous changes in ideas and design, and as a result turned into a piece of the starry sky. This work is not like any of my other works, although I have created several works with starry skies.

Despite the randomly scattered constellations, there is a Higher Order here. It is not visible, I deliberately hid it, but it is there. There are Beacon Stars here that form the structure and Curtain Stars that hide the structure. There is a movie on my YouTube channel on how I created this work.

At the end of 2022, around Christmas, I visited the Corning Museum of Glass. While there, I also purchased tickets to try my hand at working with glass sculpting, creating four glass flowers. I named my project Little Scarlet Flower in honour of the Russian fairy tale written by S. Aksakov in 1854-56. I worked under the guidance of professionals and enjoyed this new form of expression in glass. The flowers were gifted to my mom, son, and sister. And one for myself). 

2021. My projects.

The year 2021 was a pivotal period in my development as an artist. I curated my works not in chronological order but in a way that creates a flow in my narrative. I'll commence my story with the piece titled My Soul. This work holds significant importance for me. 

Honestly, I didn't anticipate naming the piece this way. Initially, I had envisioned a completely different design. However, as I traced the outline of my hands on the reverse side of the glass, I suddenly distinctly heard the thought that this was my soul. The piece encourages contemplation. Additionally, take note that the hands of little Yulka (Julia's nickname in Russian, would be pronounced as "Yool-ka.") are drawn in such a way that you can raise your hands in the same gesture and touch mine, welcoming my soul. It's a good piece—profound, and I am pleased with it.

I have a post and a video about the Glass Herd of Dürer's Rhinos. In my film, which exists in two copies—I voiced both an English and a Russian version—I shared the story behind the creation of my Rhinos. In 2021, Rhino-boy #3 was brought to life. This piece is my Everest, without exaggeration. It stands out as the best-executed among the Rhinos, a pinnacle of delicate craftsmanship. It is a source of great pride for me.

Symphony #1 is my first independent musical composition in glass. I have mentioned before that I hear glass; it's challenging to express in words, but I hear glass music. I had around 75 shades of multicoloured glass powder, and I wanted them to resonate in harmony.

The Takeoff project was conceived immediately after the passing of my father, a professor, avid fisherman, and amateur gardener. In this piece, each color carries significant meaning, and the optical illusion of the rising sphere symbolizes the ascent of his soul. I've created a video detailing the process of working on this project—it's quite captivating.

When I saw the image from the German manuscript (The Stammheim Missal, Hildesheim, ca. 1170; Ms.64 (97.MG.21), fol. 10v.), I fell in love with it instantly. I had some very beautiful glass, and I wanted to recreate this image in glass. I worked at the pace of one day of creation for each day. In other words, I created six circular images in six days. It was a very interesting, almost mystical, I would say, experience. Six days of Creation. 

I am delighted with this image. It's an illustration from the Spanish manuscript Beatus of Liébana, Commentary on the Apocalypse (the "Silos Apocalypse"), 1091-1109. The picture depicts Adam and Eve, but I named this project Insight on Love. In my interpretation, it represents a profoundly important emotion.

Hermes Trismegistus and the Creative Fire that Unites the Polarities is taken from an alchemy book from 1624. I have been fascinated by esotericism for over fifteen years and greatly enjoy exploring such themes. The creative fire in this image caught my interest. Interestingly, I found a coloured version of this engraving online, and the fire was depicted as ordinary flames. This disturbed me because creative fire is an entirely different substance. Additionally, being bipolar myself, I saw a connection with the two polarities depicted—the Sun and the Moon.

In general, it's a charming picture that I coloured according to my own interpretation. Specifically, the creative fire is also polar, with dark-purple hues reminiscent of the night and flashes of a spring day.

This piece is my third attempt at creating a Cat in glass. The original inspiration comes from Yayoi Kusama's self-portrait. In 2019, my first attempt ended in the piece shattering in the kiln. In 2020, the Cat emerged with a spot covering its entire face. In 2021, I mustered the courage for a third try. I've inscribed the following text on the work:

This work is called Alien Cat (Attempt #3). This is a re-creation in glass of a self-portrait by Yayoi Kusama (2009) that uses a different colour scheme. Yayoi Kusama is my role model, my guiding star and  my inspiration. I admire her talent and her passionate dedication towards art. This work is a tribute to her. This is my third attempt to re-create this Cat. I hope for success.  Glass work and technique by Julia Protkova. 2021.

This project is called "Owl." My mom really loves it. It's a nice, quick project created using glass powder.

This project is called "Tiger 2021." It's a revisiting of the same image with which I created a Tiger in 2013. I was curious to see my progress, and the result is a magnificent creature. Very well done!

In 2021, I created the stained glass piece Passion. It reflects on the concept of passion in general, particularly my passionate and obsessive attachment to coloured glass. Each color in the stained glass carries a symbolic meaning. For instance, the raindrop background signifies my tears along the stained glass path, while the ash-blue frame represents emotional burnout—a state I experienced. But overall, my Passion is beautiful.

As a self-taught artist, I crafted this stained glass at the Atelier under the guidance of the professional Rock Laplante. Rock shared the secrets of the craft with me, and I am immensely grateful to him for that. After Rock's passing in 2023, I acquired this stained glass piece, and it now resides in my collection as a reminder of our collaborative work. There is a video showcasing all the shades of glass in the Passion stained glass.

The following six pieces are made from coarse frit—large glass crumbs. I refer to them as instant fused panels (IFP). These are my experiments with large crumbs, a burst of ideas. Created within a couple of hours, my primary interest in this technique lies in its ease of execution. Ideally, it should be done near the kiln, but as I don't have that option, I had to modify the technique slightly. Nevertheless, the essence remains the same—it's a quick transmission of an idea. I dedicated all six works to members of my family. Each piece consists of both a drawing and text. Interestingly, writing the text on the work took almost as much time as creating the drawing itself.

The first work is called My Bipolar World. At the top - the sky and the sun. At the bottom - the night sky with the moon and stars. In the center - a symbolic image of our Earth, decorated with instant fused panels. This is my Dream - to create a Coloured Glass World and fly into space and see the World decorated with Coloured glass.

First panel. This work is called My Bipolar World. It reflects my vision as a human and that of a glass artist. This is my first trial using this new technique which I am still developing. Julia Protkova. May 2021.

The idea behind the second instant fused panel is more structured than the first. I actually thought about making this panel two-coloured. Blue is me, orange is my son. This is my favorite colour combination. In the center - a baby in the womb - from that moment my love for my son began. The upper-left-quadrant is the close interactions of a mother and child in childhood and the gradual weakening of guardianship with the maturation of the son. The bottom-right is my son and I - two independent individuals who love each other, but respect each other's space. The remaining two quadrants (bottom-left to top-right) are lined with colours of glass that my son chose.

Second panel. This work is called All in all. It is a reflection of the love I have for my Son as well as the love, warmth and support I receive from him. It is an honour to have him as my Son. This is the second trial where I am using a new technique that I am developing. Julia Protkova. May 2021.

The third panel consists entirely of light colours. This was my mom's request. My mom sponsored my IFP prototypes. “Follow your dreams”, she said. That's what I called this panel, Follow Your Dream. I love my mom very much. She is my friend. I tried to create an image of absolute happiness. For myself, this is a lake in which I would swim all day long, a meadow with colourful flowers and a sky sprinkled with stars. But the night sky has been replaced by a shooting star as the symbol of my Dream.

Third panel. This work is called Go for your Dream. These are words that my Mom said to me when she sponsored my recent glass experiments. This work is a tribute to my unique Mama. Trial #3. Julia Protkova. June 2021.

The fourth panel is dedicated to my sister. I asked my sister to choose the colours she wanted and her selection closely resembled the shades seen at night. Thus, a new experiment was born - how would dark glass look? I named this panel Greetings from Montreal. What does it mean? You know, back in 2014, I signed the Golden Book of Montreal at the City Hall. In that book, I wrote, “My dear Montreal, I really hope that my art will make you even more beautiful.” So, my panel depicts my dreams of decorating Montreal in particular.

Fourth panel. This work is called Greetings from Montreal. It is dedicated to my Sister for her care and love. It is because of you that I can call Montreal home and I am very grateful for that, Trial #4. Julia Protkova. July 2021.

The fifth panel is very complex and colourful. It's called Remembering Youth and is dedicated to my ex-husband. He has been and continues to be friend and support for 37 years. Each colour and ornament signifies certain stages and events of our youth.

Fifth panel. This work is called Remembering Youth. It is dedicated to my ex husband, my friend and my support for 35 years Victor Protkov. It was you who introduced me to art. It was you who taught me how to create. Trial #5. Julia Protkova. July-November 2021.

The sixth panel marks the completion of my experiments. It is called Music of Light and is dedicated to the memory of my Father. Here, I just allowed myself to just go with the flow. I was thinking of my Father and thanking him.

Sixth panel. This project is called Music of Light. It is dedicated to the memory of my father Professor Steve Globe (1938-2020). This is the final test in my study on Instant Fused Panels. This work summarizes my steps to develop this technique. Test #6. Julia Protkova. November 2021.

Let me say a few more words. I have the pleasure and good fortune of being able to watch over these panels day and night. I have seen and know how beautiful classic stained glass windows are. My instant fused panels IFPs shine just as well. Throughout the day, there are special moments where they reflect the sun in mesmerizing ways. I am convinced that this technique is very promising, beautiful, and rapid to perform.