On the workbench last week the studio was making an Art Glass panel of abstract design.
Art Glass panel all cut to pattern, cleaned and laid out ready for fusing. The customer wanted blues, greens and a touch of warm yellow.
Ednam House Restoration
Just been to visit with a fellow stained glass colleague from ‘Decorative Glass Restorations’, a Victorian House that is being restored and converted into apartments.
The stained glass needs restoring and there are a number of breaks in some of the panels that will need to be replaced with restoration glass to match. Amazing large 22 panel landing window, front door and side door all need bringing back to their former glory.
Sarah McDowall has been in the studio taking photographs for a project on ‘Stourbridge Glassmakers’. Sarah is currently studying towards an editorial and advertising photography degree at the University of Gloucestershire.
A 1930’s stained glass panel the studio recently restored for a clients front door entrance. Some wonderful use of colours in the original (hand-blown glass shield in the centre) and we were able to match some of the broken panes with heritage & new glass we had in stock. The glass was cleaned and a complete re-leading was needed. The restored panel, with new wooden beading and support bars is now back installed in the customers front door.
At the end of last week the studio made a ‘Presentation Panel’ for the Directors of the Charity Fight Bladder Cancer.
The artwork (Wee Are Family) was designed by one of their members and I used a combination of sheet glass, frits and line enamels. It just shows that even an illustrative artwork can be used as inspiration.
Today on the workbench, well this morning! Experimenting with surface decoration using Glassline enamels and Mica powders. Ready for the kiln-firing….
On Saturday we had a busy morning preparing for Heathfield School GCSE Art department glass workshop. This will be the first of three workshops with small groups of the students, over the next few Saturdays.
The students will work on designs from their curriculum Art projects and use these as inspiration to make fused glass panels or bowls.
This round panel is made using sheet glass colour and coloured glass frits (generic name for crushed glass of different grades/sizes)
Students Glasswork (before firing in the kiln) inspired by Aboriginal Art. Figure made of copper wire.
Just organising photos of recent projects & commissions for website inclusion and I remembered this great article written by Jamie Hubbard of ‘Creative Woodwork’ about a project we worked on together last year – The ‘Gaudi’ inspired window for a fantastic ‘Barn Conversion’ for a Writer and his Family.
For the full article with some great images and written by Jamie Hubbard, please visit this link Jamie Hubbard: Antoni Gaudi inspired feature window
Over the successful ‘Christmas Craft Weekend’, the studio was busy demonstrating and making an ‘Art Deco’ stained glass window commission.
The traditional stained glass panel has been designed from period ‘Art Deco’ patterns, which will complement the existing windows in the clients home.
The finished stained glass window will put the clients own mark to the 1930’s house and add to the history of their home.
On Saturday we held the last of this years ‘Day Workshops’ in stained glass.
There was a small group of students, both had been given the Saturday workshop as a birthday gift.
An enjoyable and relaxing morning was spent with an introduction to the craft and learning how to cut glass to a pattern.
After lunch in the Organic cafe, the afternoon was spent making their own panels. Both participants chose the same geometric design; but by choosing different coloured glass & textures, at the end of the day had made their own unique glass panel.
This week we have been designing and making a stained glass panel inspired by a previous project called ‘Still Life’.
The stained glass design is a composition of wine glass, wine bottle and carafe.
There are several handmade elements within the panel; including blown, diamond-wheel cut & etched glass. All adding to the bespoke and unique nature of the commissioned glasswork.
The panel has been commissioned by a local business as a retirement present for one of their longstanding employees.
The stained glass will be installed into a wooden free-standing frame, made in oak.
Transparent Glass Studio 