Exploring the Colour Grey

For the exhibition Art of Glass at the National Museum Scotland and the National Centre for Craft and Design, Brachlow has created three new works focussing specifically on the colour grey. The predominant colouring agent in grey glass, nickel, has two interesting characteristics: it subtly changes hue in different types of illumination, and it strongly changes in both colour density and hue if the physical thickness of the glass varies. Continuing her exploration of the interaction of colour, form and light in glass solids, Brachlow conducted extensive visual research, drawing on Czech glass sculpture, particularly the work of Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, in combination with extensive colour and form testing. This resulted in elongated shapes with pronounced thick-thin variations, emphasised by the appropriate colour density for each form, aiming to achieve multiple shades and sometimes multiple hues within the work. A combination of surface finishes is used to selectively reveal and obscure views inside the glass, and to focus and diffuse light. The forms, base on a concept called D-forms, can be exhibited in different orientations and transform depending on the viewing angle

Kiln casting: What can go wrong and how to fix it

A visual journey through the kiln casting process, Heike Brachlow presents her making methods from initial model to finished glass sculpture. The second section of this 1.5 hour long lecture focuses on problem solving within the kiln casting process: It’s cracked – what went wrong? How can bubbles on the edges be avoided? Why did my mould break? A summary of this lecture will be published in the conference Journal 2019 St. Petersburg

Shaping Colour: Density, Light and Form in Solid Glass Sculpture

In transparent glass, colour occurs through the absorption of certain wavelengths of light, and transmission of other wavelengths. In thicker sections of glass, more light is absorbed than in thinner sections, making the thicker sections appear darker, and sometimes a different hue. This phenomenon is called volume colour by Joseph Albers, and together with the optical properties of glass as a denser material than air, leads to remarkable possibilities for glass artists, to work with form to achieve light accents and/or different hues in solid object made from a single transparent glass colour. Artists in the Czech republic have explored this potential in cast glass since the 1960s, working directly with colour factories, and passing on gained knowledge through teaching. Elsewhere, it is difficult for artists to explore these possibilities for two reasons: Firstly, the lack of literature on volume colour, and the difficulty of translating theoretical information on optics into practical application. Secondly, on the practical side, it is unusual for artists to work with factories to develop their glass colours. Instead, colours are available in a limited range of hues, and casting colours are developed for small to medium sized objects around 5 cm thickness, therefore often appear very dark or black when used for larger solid casts of more than 10 cm thickness. To explore the relationship between colour, form and light in glass sculpture, artists need to be in control of colour hue and value. To achieve control, they have to either work with a factory, or colour their own glass. This research contributes to the practice of kiln casting through the development of methods to produce homogenous transparent colours in a studio environment, using ceramic crucibles in a kiln. Visual and written guidelines about basic colour results using single colouring agents provide a starting point for development of bespoke hues and densities. Drawing on physics texts and through a thorough study of existing glass sculpture, the optical properties of glass are explained in relation to practical application

On colour, form and light

Lecture ‘on colour, form and light’, Ausglass Conference 2015, Adelaide, Australia. A lecture about my research on colour in solid glass objects, focussing on factors that influence the appearance of colour in glass. Using sculptures by artists such as Stanislav Libensky and Jaroslava Brychtova, Frantisek Visner, Colin Reid and many others, colour appearance is analysed based on the following factors: Form of object; size of object in relation to amount of colouring agent; reflection, refraction and transmission of light; wavelength and intensity of incident light; angle of incident light; Surface finish; scattering of light. Light paths are discussed, using simple diagrams as well as glass objects such as lenses, prisms and sculptures which incorporate these elements. The appearance of transparent glasses of different thickness coloured with specific colouring agents is examined. The reasons for colour changes in dichroic and polychromatic glasses are explained. This talk aims to help artists’ understanding of volume colour and its properties, to enable intellectual underpinning of the intuition practitioners develop with experience

An Empirical Approach to Colour in Glass

This paper focuses on the characteristics and use of transparent homogenous coloured glass for cast glass sculpture. It provides an overview of glass colouring agents and their characteristics, and establishes factors that influence the appearance of colour in glass. Methods to visually evaluate appropriate colour density for a given form are discussed, as well as essential characteristics that a form must possess to achieve results within a density threshold area, where coloured glass changes in value and/or hue between thick and thin sections

Access to specialty care in autism spectrum disorders-a pilot study of referral source

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In the United States, a medical home model has been shown to improve the outcomes for children with special health care needs. As part of this model, primary care physicians provide comprehensive medical care that includes identification of delayed and/or atypical development in children and coordination of care with specialists. However, it is not clear if families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rely on the medical home model for care of their child to the same extent as families of children with other special health care needs. This study aims to add to the understanding of medical care for children with ASD by examining the referral source for specialty care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This retrospective study was accomplished by evaluating parent completed intake data for children with ASD compared to those with other neurological disorders in a single physician Pediatric Neurology Practice at a major urban medical center in Northern New Jersey. To account for referral bias, a similar comparison study was conducted using a multispecialty ASD practice at the same medical center. Parent reported "source of referral" and "reason for the referral" of 189 ASD children and 108 non-ASD neurological disordered children were analyzed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The specialty evaluations of ASD were predominantly parent initiated. There were significantly less referrals received from primary care physicians for children with ASD compared to children with other neurodevelopmental disorders. Requirement of an insurance referral was not associated with a primary care physician prompted specialty visit.We identified different patterns of referral to our specialty clinics for children with ASD vs. children with other neurolodevelopmental disorders.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The majority of the families of children with ASD evaluated at our autism center did not indicate that a primary care physician initiated the specialty referral. This study suggests that families of children with ASD interface differently with the primary care provider than families of children with other neurological disorders.</p

Colour through Form

Brachlow’s new forms, developed during her residency at the Australian National University in Canberra in January 2015, are based on a concept called “D-form”. A three-dimensional form is created by joining the edges of two flat shapes with the same perimeter length. Results are wildly different depending on at which point the shapes are joined. The resulting curved forms are a departure from Brachlow’s previous severe geometric shapes, the surface curvature promoting optical effects such as distortion, illusion and magnification. The continuing aim is an exploration of the interaction of colour, form and light in glass solids: variations in hue and value depending on the form, reflections and distortion depending on surface finish and form, changes in different types of illumination depending on the composition of the glass

Colour Connections

Brachlow’s new work explores colour connections within sculptures. Through careful setup of two or three colours, flow patterns can be made visible. The Brachlow’s new work explores colour connections within sculptures. Through careful setup of two or three colours, flow patterns can be made visible. The flow of glass is governed by form, by composition of glass, by colour and by temperature, as well as by distance of reservoir from the mould, and placement of glass within the reservoir. In Vortex II and Vortex IV, neodymium purple is used in combination with other colours. This results in delicate delicate flow patterns. Neodymium glass changes in hue in different kinds of light, which means these sculptures can change significantly in appearance depending on illumination. Anemoi (the Greek Gods of the Winds) and Xanadu (a place of beauty), both combinations of blues and greens, display a more subtle flow. In Halycon, two shades of turquoise were mixed during the casting process, resulting in a near-homogenous colour with faint swirls