Tag: NancyDaviesTang

Glass Art – Koi Pond using Glass Enamels

Posted on by Nancy Tang

This week I’ve been working on this glass art piece of a koi pond using enamels for glass. I’ve never worked with this material before but I am really enjoying it and like the effect.  The image shows the piece after the first firing, with the second layer of glass enamel applied. Just waiting to be fired again.

 

Glass Art piece - A 9" glass disc with koi pond
Glass Art – Koi Pond, 9″ disc.

The Process

First I create a drawing on the high fire paper (the paper that acts as a kiln separator to keep the glass from sticking to the kiln shelf), then I begin to add the details using the glass enamel mixed with a medium to make it paint-like. I also use the enamel as a powder as you may notice in this image (you can see the green ‘dust’ on the water.) I’ve fired this piece twice, with layers of enamel added each time, to get the desired effect. I might fire them anywhere from 2-5 times depending oh how they come out.

This is a great way to create glass art that has a more painterly feel. The possibilities seem endless when creating kiln fired glass art!

I will display the piece in a metal stand when completed.

Check out more of my art at NancyDaviesTang.com

I’ve also been working on a project for Habitat for Humanity that you might like to see HERE.

 

Nancy Davies Tang. Title:  Koi Pond. Medium: Kiln fired glass and glass enamels. Price: $450

 

SEO, Taxes & Swiss Cheese – what do these 3 things have in common?

Posted on by Nancy Tang

SEO, Taxes & Swiss Cheese

Well, me. I’ve spent the better part of the week doing my business and personal taxes. Now as if that weren’t enough, I decided I needed to work on my websites, their content and my SEO. Recently I ported all my sites over to this new host and to the WordPress platform. For the last 20 years I’ve used HTML and had optimization down fairly well… then came WordPress and all that went out the window, sort of.  So today I’ve been researching, tweeking, submitting etc… Apparently I got a little fried because 1/2 hour into trying to prove to google that I did, indeed, own my  own website, I forgot why I was doing it!! I remember now… it was so I could submit my new pages to the search engine.

I’ve installed plugins, I’ve changed page titles and text to increase my chances at a higher ranking. After all that I decided well heck, I don’t have very many products on my site yet so let’s add a bracelet with 6 variations in color, AND inventory management. That didn’t go so well at first either, but, eventually I got it to work.

My mind is now officially Swiss, cheese that is.

Ah, the life of an entrepreneur….

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Here is a good article for those like me just getting started with really trying to work WordPress

Today I’ve added my SnapDragon(tm) Bracelets, check out those variations!

 

Down Time - What we do in Maine when the tourists go home

Down Time – What we do in Maine when the tourists go home

Posted on by Nancy Tang

It’s Artist Down Time  here in Maine. The time of year when the tourists have fled to warmer climes and I sit looking out the window at 3′ of snow. Often customers at the cooperatives will ask us what we do all winter; we wonder this too…..

Once we close the cooperatives in late October (mostly) we do holiday shows, enjoy our families and then comes the lull in January/February. We make no money in the winter months unless we have successfully navigated the Etsy  or other online waters. There are a few shows between the new year and spring but not many, and generally not great anyway.  Mostly I plan to make a lot of stock over the winter and to get to all those house cleaning projects I’ve put off all summer, but what really happens is I collapse,  the last two winters I’ve experienced severe family illnesses, I try to enjoy the holidays, I do my taxes (OMFG) and come April I’ve created NOTHING.  I’ve spent a lot of time organizing stuff for the coops, researching new products, new galleries, applying to shows, working on the websites, ordering supplies and I’ve even finished a few paintings. I haven’t been in the studio.. except to clean .. for months. I plan to do better, but I always seem to fail.

It’s ok my taxes are done, family is ok,  and I still have April!! I have hope!! Maybe I’ll get some backstock created!! Maybe I’ll get some new products done!! I have designed a few pieces for an art gallery so hey I’m ahead already! A little down time is also good for the soul, helps us to recharge for the crazy season that is just around the corner!

Never enough time

Never enough time

Posted on by Nancy Tang

Sure I said I’d be posting my SnapDragons(tm) on the site in a week; that was two weeks ago. There isn’t enough time in a day is there?  I’ve launched my art site NancyDaviesTang.com ,  moved and mocked up my supply website at UGotGlass.com, which is inactive at the moment because again.. there is just NO time. I’ve also launched a sit for my lavender & market garden farm WinterRose.farm.  I’ve entered two shows one with the Bangor Arts Society and the other with river arts. The former won 2nd place and the latter saw one piece featured in the local paper. Ye ha… I am moving along,  just not getting everything on the list done! Ah well, we do what we can…..

~Nan

Sooooooo today....

Sooooooo today….

Posted on by Nancy Tang

I got the blog to show my posts : ) sure sure you think it’s easy…. no no it’s not lol. Anywho, the website she is up and running. Now I’m waiting for my host to add the SSL certificate so you can shop without worry.  That should take a day or so. In the meantime, I’ll be adding more items and trying to get some inventory on here for you to buy.

IDK how anyone gets anything done. Today I amended the soil in my garden beds, searched each leaf of cukes and squashes like the backs of a child’s ear for squash bug eggs and removed them all, killed cucumber bugs with my bare fingers (yes it’s war), sprayed all those plants with an organic insecticide. I dealt with some issues at the artist coop I am shop manager for,  drove my husband over a friends house to go fishing, took a friend to lunch for her bday and to the lake to go swimming, did some grocery shopping, worked on this site and purchased the SSL, did the dishes, fed the cats, fed the chickens,  and am going to fry up the fish my husband caught today, after which I must do laundry for the week.  It doesn’t seem like that should take all the hours in a day but, believe me, it does.  How the time flies…..

It was a glorious day, the weather was perfect and I spent it doing great things with people I love.  It goes fast folks, enjoy every minute…..

~Nan

It’s not all fun and games that’s for sure….

Posted on by Nancy Tang

I’ve been trying to find the time to port my website over from it’s existing host to this  new one for about a year. People think, oh you’re an artist, that must be so much fun! Well, yeah it is.. but honestly, it’s about 1/5th creating art and 4/5’s doing paperwork, marketing, ordering supplies, and trying to sell our work via FB, Etsy, Ebay, Shows, Shops and yes…. having a functioning website. So folks, bear with me. I’m hoping to have this puppy  up and running  over the next few months…. and now I have to figure out how to make the DNS point to this new place instead of my old site… sheesh.

Anywayyyyyyyyyyyy,

~Nan