This mouse features another focal in the so-called ‘crisp floral’ series, but a later one, when I was doing very minimal abstract backgrounds—just a touch of white thompson enamel and bit of blue-green frit. (Typical abstracts generally have at least three shades of TE, and 2–3 frit combos. Here I was being a bit lazy about getting all those trays out, and just pulling 1 or 2 individual tins. Back in the day when I used muffin trays, I had no choice to pull 12 colours at a time;)

dead mouse, 7.25inches, focal roughly 1-1/8 x 1 x 5/8"; sony ILCE-7c 70mm (70–180mm tamron) f/2.8, 1/160 sec, ISO 50, godox manual flash; click for a sharper, larger image.

The ‘crisp’ comes from the fact that the stringer I used to make the purple petals is both the “paint” and the “brush” —only the very tip of the stringer is molten, and I'm using the stiffer part of the glass to create sort of a wake, as from a boat: this gives the petal the ridges on its two edges, which I think is more lifelike, and visually interesting. It does require more precise heat control, however. It's great fun when it works right, though.

as above, reverse side of focal.

Unless otherwise noted, text, image and objects depicted therein copyright 1996--present sylvus tarn.