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Recent Work
Click on
each image for a larger view.
"Super Cat's Eye" Style
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This style consists of multi-colored fins running
pole to pole that are twisted in the same direction on each end.
The center of the marble has a backward twist that helps the view to see
the depth between the fins. There is a thick layer of clear
encasing the entire marble.
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Super Cat's Eye - Bold
This marble consists of many different bold
colors swirling through white fins. The application of the
colors is random, so each marble is completely unique, apart from
the style.
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Super Cat's Eye - Blue
This marble consists of many different bold
colors swirling through blue fins. The application of the
colors is random, so each marble is completely unique, apart from
the style.
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"Mica-Core" Style
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This style consists of a clear core that is either
coated with a heavy layer of silver mica, or has a mica
"blizzard" throughout the clear. It is then surrounded by
floating stripes. Some are swirls in the same direction from pole
to pole. Some are swirled
in reverse directions at the poles, creating a "chevron"
pattern. Others are twisted the same direction at each pole with a
reverse twist or "back twist" in the middle.
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Mica-Core Rainbow Back-Twist
This marble consists of a clear core that is coated
with a heavy layer of silver mica, surrounded by rainbow stripes that
are swirled in a back-twist pattern, all encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Blizzard" Core Rainbow Swirl
This marble consists of a "blizzard"
of silver mica dispersed throughout its clear core, surrounded by rainbow stripes that
are swirled from pole to pole, all encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Waving" Style
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This style consists of a mica-coated core, surrounded by
floating stripes that are first zig-zagged and then swirled gently from
pole to pole..
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Waving Glory
This marble consists of a transparent dark blue
core that is covered in silver mica, with red, white and blue stripes, all encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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Waving Rainbow
This marble consists of a transparent purple core that is covered in silver mica, with
rainbow stripes, all encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Ultimate" Raked
Style
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This style is raked while molten, four times in
each direction, to create a
"feathered pattern" that gives the impression of flower petals
on each pole.
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Veteran's Day
This marble has a clear core layered with silver
mica and transparent blue. The poles are covered with caps of white
with red lines. It is encased in a thick layer of
crystal clear.
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Ultimate Jewel - Green
This marble has a clear-encased white core.
Over that it has teal, dark green, lime, and chartreuse raked lines. It is encased in a thick layer of
crystal clear.
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Ultimate Jewel - Fire
This marble has a clear-encased white core.
Over that it has red, orange, and yellow raked lines. It is encased in a thick layer of
crystal clear.
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Ultimate Jewel - Blue
This marble has a clear-encased white core.
Over that it has aqua, and several shades of blue raked lines. It is encased in a thick layer of
crystal clear.
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Ultimate Jewel - Multi
This marble has a clear-encased white core.
Over that it has teal, blue,
pink and purple raked lines. It is encased in a thick layer of
crystal clear.
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"Lobed Mica Core" Style
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This style consists of a solid-colored core,
coated with a heavy layer of silver mica, and surrounded by stripes over
both the peaks and valleys of the core. Some are swirled
in reverse directions at the poles, creating a "chevron"
pattern. Others are twisted the same direction at each pole with a
reverse twist or "back twist" in the middle.
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"Snowball" Chevron Swirl
This marble has a white core, white lines and
silver mica, all encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"3D Back Twist" Style
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This style consists of a solid-colored core, surrounded by
alternating stripes of colored and clear glass. This gives the
colored stripes depth when swirled. The marble is twisted in the same direction at each pole with a
reverse twist or "back twist" in the middle.
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"Rainbow" 3D Back Twist
Traditionally, marbles with multiple colored stripes are referred to as "Joseph's Coats" in reference to the "richly ornamented" robe Israel gave his son Joseph [Gen. 37:3]. This particular design is my own interpretation and it has more intended meaning.
The rainbow colors are a reminder of God's covenant with all life on earth [Gen. 9:17] and the white stripes between the rainbow colors signify Jesus, the light of the world [John 8:12] shining through. The stripes themselves signify our faith journey. In the middle there is a large backward twist in the stripes signifying that the journey is long and filled with many obstacles, or back-steps that must be overcome. And finally, the poles, or ends, signify God - there at the beginning and at the end - all things coming from Him and going to Him.
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"Spider" Style
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This style is raked while molten to create a
"feathered pattern" that gives the impression of a
multi-legged "spider" on each pole.
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Fiery Uranium Spider
This marble has multiple stripes of uranium glass between the colored
stripes that are unseen in normal lighting. However, they glow a
bright green under a black light. It is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Floss-Core" Style
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This style has a lobed core that is comprised of
many colored filaments or "floss." Some are swirled
in reverse directions at the poles, creating a "chevron"
pattern. Others are twisted the same direction at each pole with a
reverse twist or "back twist" in the middle.
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Floss Core Patriot
This marble has a blue and white floss core with
floating red stripes. It is swirled in a back-twist pattern and encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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Floss Core Chevron - Aqua and Lime
This marble has an aqua, blue and lime floss
core with
floating orange and yellow stripes. It is swirled in a chevron pattern and encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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Floss Core Chevron - Aqua and Pink
This marble has an aqua, blue and pink floss
core with
floating orange and yellow stripes. It is swirled in a chevron pattern and encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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Floss Core Chevron - Pink and Purple
This marble has a pink, blue and purple floss
core with
floating aqua and lime stripes. It is swirled in a chevron pattern and encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Watercolor-Core" Style
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This style is also a lobed core but the pattern
created, and the blending of the colors, reminds me of painting with
watercolors. Each color melts into the next with wonderful
variation as the marble is turned.
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Watercolor Back-Twist
This marble has wisps of color swirled through
a lobed core with black stripes floating over the edge of each
lobe. It is swirled in a back-twist pattern and is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Frog Skin" Style
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This style has a lobed core with a mottled black
and white pattern that is reminiscent of a leopard frog's skin.
There are transparent colors laid between the lobes giving the
appearance of colored spots, rather than just black and white.
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UV Frog Skin Back-Twist
This marble has Vaseline Glass for
the yellow-green color and glows brightly under a black light (second
picture). There are black and white stripes floating over the edge of
alternating lobes. It is swirled in a back-twist pattern and is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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Frog Skin Chevron Swirl - Lime
This marble has lime green between the lobes
and white stripes floating over the edge of each lobe. It is swirled in a
chevron pattern and is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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Frog Skin Chevron Swirl - Lime and Purple
This marble has lime green between the lobes
and white stripes floating over the edge of each lobe. It is swirled in a
chevron pattern and is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
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"Painted" Style
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These
marbles are made in multiple layers. I first make a
"canvas" marble. This may consist of a clear gather from
the furnace that is then rolled in either black or white powder to make
an opaque core. It may also be a transparent color, as in the Koi
Pond to the left, or clear as in the Flower Garden. The core is
shaped and dipped back into the furnace to get a clear
coating. The resulting marble is cooled in the annealer and then
becomes the "canvas" to be painted.
The second step is to mix glass that has been
ground to a powder with a thick binder that essentially makes
"paint." Each color of paint is made from a specific
color of ground glass, or from a mixture of different glass
powders. Because I'm not "melting" the colors together
there are no incompatibility issues and virtually ANY color is
achievable.
After each color is applied, or each area is
worked, the binder is allowed to dry so that the colors
don't smear unintentionally. However, working with the colors wet allows for some very nice
blending as well. Because of the 6 to 8 hours necessary for the
binder to dry completely, this is a many-day process.
After all of the powders have been applied and
the piece has dried, the painted marble is placed into the annealer and
slowly brought up to 1150 ºF. After it has soaked for several
hours, allowing the heat to be evenly distributed in the marble, it is
picked up out of the annealer and dipped into the furnace. In some
cases that dipping results in the outer coating of clear on the
marble. In other cases this will actually be the next layer of
"canvas." In those cases the process of cooling,
painting, reheating and dipping is repeated, resulting in a
multi-layered effect.
Finally the marble is rounded and cooled to
room temperature.
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Koi Pond Series
This marble has multiple layers. The lowest
layer is the water, which is transparent aqua glass swirled around a
clear core. The next layer has the painted koi swimming in a
different pattern in each edition of the marble. The third layer has lily pads
and water lilies floating above the koi. In the large version
there is another layer with dragonflies buzzing over the lily
pads. The entire marble is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
Each marble is signed, numbered and dated before the last layer of clear
is applied, so the signature is sub-surface.
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Flower Garden Series
This marble has multiple layers of all kinds
and colors of flowers and is truly wonderful to hold and explore.
The three dimensional effect just can't be captured adequately in the
photograph. The entire marble is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
Each marble is signed, numbered and dated before the last layer of clear
is applied, so the signature is sub-surface.
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Painted "Window" Style
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These
marbles are made in multiple layers, similar to the painted marbles
above. However, they require an additional process. The
inner marble is made first and encased in clear. It is then
encased in color so that the inner marble is totally hidden. It is
then cooled in the annealer. After cooling, a window into the
inner chamber is formed by grinding and polishing a flat spot on one end
of the marble. The marble is then painted as above, reheated and
dipped. The thick coating of clear crystal forms a lens which
magnifies the inner marble seen through the prepared window.
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Untitled - One of a Kind
This marble has an inner swirled marble of
white with green aventurine stripes. The next layer is black, and
the final layer is green, yellow, orange and red. The entire marble is encased in a thick layer of crystal clear.
This marble is a one-of-a-kind and was signed before the last layer of clear
was applied, so the signature is sub-surface. The signature
reads: AF <>< 11-20-2006
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