Most of the pieces in this collection are slowly evolving in the studio without a definite plan as to what they will become. If you were to visit the #glassstudio you would see maybe as many as seven or eight different pieces all taking shape and growing day by day. Some may become #stainedglass windows, some may become #bowls, #platters or #candle curves. Each one will be placed on the website for sale as it is completed. Different firings, different techniques and different materials are used in each stage, and, as I am also working on commissions, this fun work has to fit in around the daily testing and development that is going on for my commissioned pieces. #Bamboo Pond is 30 x 34 cm in size and can be hung inside a window or displayed on a custom built stand.
As each day comes I have taken to exploring areas of the #garden with my camera and taking shots of anything new that has decided to arrive overnight. Each day is a new discovery and each piece is an exercise for me as I am developing new methods and techniques in the studio. The video above gives you a run through some of the processes used to create each piece. A panel is created initially with a miniature ##fused and hand painted glass panel. Using glass that had been pre-worked in the kiln and formed with a torch, I work directly from the initial photograph to build up my initial piece. Once fired, it is handpainted and then fired again in the kiln. Essentially I am painting with light and using the transparency of the glass to enhance the luminosity of each piece and really bring it to life.
Whilst waiting for the kiln to finish working its magic I started work on the #stainedglass element to the piece, looking at various layouts until I finally came up with a configuration that pleases me. Having drawn my cartoon, each piece of glass is cut, drawings for the bamboo and little #buddha images are made to size and these are then hand traced and painted onto the glass and fired again in the kiln. The final stage of building the piece using traditional stained glass techniques is the most fun as I see the piece come together. It is not until it is finally polished up and hung up against the light that I get to see the true mood of each piece.
