Dot on Dot Insanity at Big Dipper Glassworks, February 12, 2005
By Nancy Zalusky
FlashGlass.biz

Easily the best way to get through the cabin fever February in Minnesota always brings is a class at Big Dipper Glassworks with Ann Marie Herllick, the Mistress of Dots.

Dot placement can be so frustrating that many of us, me included. I give up quickly on dotted beads and op for more organic esthetics rather than struggle with stringer in the flame and moving dots. Ann Marie shared her secrets and tips, some of which are simply reminders of basic technique we may have forgotten over time.

-Break off the ends of stringer rather than melt for a clean, hence clean placement
-Take the arch of a round bead out before adding the dots to maintain a pleasing shape
-Melt the dot in slowly to avoid slippage
-Avoid greens, grays and other colors for base beads which "swallow" the dots
-However, you can use the bleeding of some colors with dots to create a batik or tie dye effect, such as mosaic green dots on mustard
-Keep a cup of water near the flame so you can dip your stringer and get a new, clean tip.
-Use the cold part of the stringer or cane to pull off glass you want to remove
-In addition to the old stand by of Coke you can use pickling solution (used by metal smiths to remove flux residues and oxides.

We made several beads that Ann Marie is known for, including her stacked and pulled dot beads and the Xs and Os beads, made by using dots to create shapes in negative space.

She taught us about the use of color in dot formation too.
-Use white as a base for all transparent dots to brighten the color, layer it in between each transparent color added. When adding the transparent push it to meet and if possible exceed the white base dot
-The footprint of the dot, the first color laid determines the size of the dot
-If it is necessary to move a dot, use gravity rather than a tool

Ann Marie also shared some of her other color secrets with us, such as using Red Purple dots on regular purple, with a little cooking you get a nice whitish ring around the dots. She also suggested experimenting with 254 purple (EDP) and silver to make stringer which when applied leaves a coppery dot and causes fascinating reaction to neighboring copper green dots. While we didn't have time to try this, she also suggested trying a stringer made from mustard with silver. Finally she pointed out that leaving a tiny dot of darker or more intense transparent in the center of a transparent dot gives it a needed highlight to make the whole bead sparkle.

It all seemed so smooth and simple in class - the test will be later when we are alone with our torch and glass.