Some Venetian to help you study on Murano...

This is an idea I have had since I managed to get myself into the doors of Murano: a list of vocab and phrases that are necessary to know when working in the furnaces of the island. I put this together with the help of Pino Signoretto last time he was here teaching. I hope it helps someone who has the idea of developing a Venetian glass aesthetic on their list of adventures.

In boca a lupo...

Ordini - Commands:

scaldare – to heat

scalda – heat (command)

scalda coa fiama (Muranese) = scalda con la fiamma (Italiano) –heat with the

torch

scalda da drio (M.) = da dietro (I.) – heat from the back

scalda davanti – heat from the front

scalda sul ponteo (M.) – heat the punty

scalda poco – heat a little (short period of time)

scalda a meta` - heat half

prendi poco – gather a little (lit. take a little)

metti e canne a caldo – heat the rods (put the rods up/ put some pipes in the pipe warmer)

levare – gather (lit. remove, take away)

leva vetro – gather some glass

leva poco vetro – gather a little glass

prendi abbastanza – gather enough (for the piece that I am working on; more than a little)

suppia (da suppiare) (M.) = soffia (da soffiare)(I.) = blow, and to blow

pian (M.) = piano (I.) – softly

forte – hard

spingi (da spingere) – push (from the verb to push)

vien...ven (M.) = vieni (I.) – come here!

dai (dai vien) – come on!

ciappa (M.) prendi (I.) – take it!

dai svelto, muovite – hurry up!

tocia di/ea... – passo di…– give it a roll, a pass (lit. a touch)

• per esempio: una tocia (tociai-pl.) ea polvere, foglia d’oro, d’argento, ea murrine, ea filligrana, ecc.
• for example: a pass of powder, gold leaf, silver leaf, murrini, filigrana, etc.
apri – open
cava la portesea (M.) = togliere la portina (I.) – remove the door

gira (da girare)– turn (from the verb to turn)

rinfresca la canna – cool the pipe

sera`, chiudi – close
versi la boca – to open (lit. pour/spill/shed the mouth)
metti in tempera – put it in the garage

va col speo (M.) = vai con uno speo (I.) – bring me a bit
varda (M.) – gurarda (I.) – look!
andemo (M.) = andiamo (I.) – lets go!, are we going?
pian piano! – easy, gentle, lightly (relative to short flashes, light marvering, slowing down, etc…
vai piano – go easy
fai piano – easy does it
Direzioni - Directions:
piu` - more
meno – less

destra –right

sinistra – left

su – up

giu` - down
via – move, get away, get out of the way, (lit. away)
qui/qua – here
li/la – there

da drio (M.) = da dietro (I.) – from the back, from behind

davanti – heat from the front

a fianco di..., al lato di…, - on the side of, next to

veloce – quickly

piano - relax


Descrizioni - Discriptions:

picolo (M.) = piccolo (I.) – small

medio - medium

grande – big

Ferri/ Attrezzi - Tools:

el scagno – bench

bronzin – marver

el ponteo (M.) = il pontello (I.) – punty

ea canna (M.) (grosse, fine) – rods (punty) thick, thin

el speo (s.)/ I speii (p.) – bit rod(s)

la cassa – laddle

la cassetta – little laddle

la canna con la palla – gathering ball

la borsella – jacks (lit. little pig)

tagliante dritte (piccolo, medie, grande) – straight shears (small, medium, big)

tagliante tonde (grande e piccole) – diamond shears (big and small)

pinse - tweezers

pinsette (piccolo e grande) – tweezers (small and big)

pinsette piatte – flat crimps

pinsette piatte strette – small flat crimps

pinsette coe righe – texture crimps

il taiolo (M.) = tagliolo (I.) grande e piccolo – tag (small and big)

baea` di carta (M.) = palla di carta (I.) = paper paddle

i parcioffi – parcioffi

soffietto – lit. little blower = soffietto

maiosso – block

la paeta (M.) = paleta (I.) - paddle

paeta de fero (M.) = paletta di ferro (I.) - shovel

la paeta de legno (M.) = paletta di legno (I.) – wood paddle

la pistola aria – air gun

la pistola con ossigeno – oxygen gun

la pistola a gas (granda e piccola) = fiamma –torch (big and small)

la fiamma piccola – hot torch (lit. the small flame)

la fiamma granda – the weed burner, hazard torch, bench torch (lit. the big flame)

la bombola a gas – propane tank

la bombola ossigeno – oxygen tank

temperetta – small garage

la muffola (grande o piccola) – annealer (small or big)

tempera – garage

el forno (grande, piccolo, ecc.) – glory hole (big, small, etc.)

el bruciatore – burner (for the glory hole)

el parafogo – heat shield

l’asineo (M.) = l’asinello (I.) – yolk

el masteo grando o la mastea piccola – bucket (for water) big or small

il scangneo – stand for water buckets

stampo mascheron – face mold

stampo rigardin- straight optic mold

stampo baloton (M.) – pinapple mold

stampo a costa – open mold

calibro, compasso - caliper

Tipi di Vetro e Cose a Che Fare - Types of Glass and Things to do With It:

le maccie – frit

gransioi (M.) – graniglia (I.) – frit

polvere - powder

curisiol (M.) – crogiolo (I.) - crucible

la vasca di cristallo, di blu, di rosso, ecc – the furnace with clear, blue, red, etc…
ea portesea (M.) = la portina, porticina – the door (of the furnace, glory hole, etc.)
cristao (M.) = cristallo (I.) = clear glass
Parti del Corpo - Body Parts:
el pie (M.) = il piede (I.) – foot
ea man (M.) = la mano (I.) – hand
ea testa (M.) = la testa (I.) – head
el dorso (M.) = il torso (I.) – torso/ upper body
brassi (M.) = il braccio (I.) - arm
la gamba – leg
ocio` (M.) = l’occhio (I.) – eye
ocio`! – pay attention!
bocca (M.) = la boca (I.) – mouth
I denti – teeth
pei (M.) = peli (I.) – skin
recie (M.) = orrechie (I.) – ears
I deo(singolare)/ tanti dei(plurale)(M.) = il dito(s.)/ la dita(p.)(I.)– finger, toe/fingers, toes
deii de i pie (M.) = dita dei piedi (I.) – toes
dei de e man (M.) = dita delle mani – fingers
senocio (M.) = il ginocchio (I.) – knee
fianco – hip
pansa (M.) = pancia/stomoco (I.) – stomach
schiena – back
spaea (M.) = spalla (I.) = shoulder
coio (M.) = collo (I.) – neck
cavei (M.) = capelli (I.) – hair
le tette – tits, boobs
il seno - breast
il petto – chest, bosom
coa (M.) = coda (I.) – tail
satie (M.) = zampe, scarpe, zoccolo (I.) – paw, shoe, hoof

Cultura/ Espressioni – Culture/ Expressions:

tiga i morti cani, i morti cani, ecc. – (lit. do you have dead dogs?!) This expression refers to a time in which the Venitian nobels were the only ones that were allowed to be buried because there was a limited amount of space on the islands of the Venetian Lagoon. In spite of this fact, the nobles had their dogs killed and buried with them, too. So, the expression is a reference to the disgust that the commoners had toward those that believed themselves to be more worthy because of class distinction.
example: Tiga i morti cani?! = You’ve got dead dogs?! = You think you’re
better than me?! = (insert expletive here: mother _____, ____head, etc.)
montare/salire – to get on/in, to go/come up, to rise
far coasion (M.) = fare colazione (I.) – to have breakfast
andemo a pissar (M.) = andiamo a fare la pipi` = let’s go take a piss!
andemo cagar in cesso (M.) – let’s go shit in the outhouse!
andiamo ad evacuare (I.) – let’s go to evacuate
cao de merda – chiefly Venetian = cao is the end of the rope on the old Venetian ships that was frayed, with which they would wipe the butts after shitting in the water. So, it is like calling someone an “asswipe.”

Brindisi Veneziano:

Alziamo il bicchier.
Facciamo cin cin!
Brindiam, brindiam, tutto el mondo fa cin cin.
Sollevando il bicchiere di vin,
I sa morti chi non fa el saltin!
Cin, cin!

Venetian Cheers:

Let’s raise our glasses.
Let’s make a toast!
Cheers, cheers, the whole world is cheersing!
Raising your glass of wine,
Death to ye, if you don’t get off your behind…
Cheers!!!

East Coast and Cold

Just got back from an East Coast adventure. I checked out some graduate programs in glass. I've turned in most of the applications, but there are a couple that I've got to finish up this week.

In the meantime I'm going to get back in the shop and get as much work done as I can before Pino gets back in town this coming Saturday. He'll be teaching another workshop with us.

It's good to be back in temperate Eugene!

This is a quick video of one of my more recent pieces. It measures 14" x 8" x 22.5". The yellow tubes exit and enter the mind and heart area of the man. The union of the two areas is the clear disc into which the fluid from within the figure flows; this is representative of the fluid that provides life and is viewed clearly through this soul-port.

Third Eye Electric

I'm writing out of Scranton, PA. I'm here on a detour from my academic expeditions. I just got done looking at the difference between what is, and what is understood in the reality of RISD. The school has been ranked either the top or second best art school for the past thirty years. I got to see, over the past couple days, how it has come to attain that status, although that didn't suffice in completing my understanding, and I suppose that is what the the $36,000./ year tuition is all about.

Anyway, I've got burning eyes, maybe from being on the road today. I wanted to get up this clip of the third eye plasma piece that I've had posted, only as a photo, but now as a video clip. Check it out, let me know what you think.

Snow on the road today. I hope the drive back into Philly is clear.

Headed down to Virginia Commonwealth University, in Richmond, on Sunday. I'll try and check in some more before this trip's end...

Sogni d'oro tutti!