Frances Federer Blog

progress of Book

2012-01-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

I am struggling to get it finally ready for the final edit, grabbing time when I can. It is so close, but still needs attention. I read it through and keep refining it to make it clearer. So easy to assume things.

Describing a technique to a novice is amazingly hard: imagine.... 'pick up the gold and gild the glass...' what is gold, (thick, thin, colour, how much does it cost....) what is glass, (same questions) and what do you mean, 'gild'? And so it goes. Every detail has to be explained, and every little thing I have discovered over the years that can help to fill out the info and clarify needs to be included. And not all jumbled up but presented in some kind of order!

But, it is coming. There is a ton to do after I have done this part.... I have to market the book, get it designed and printed, establish its cost and get in advance orders (with discount). Then I need to get it reviewed and out there. Talks and demos will all help, too. And in what order do I do all this? Same old, just put your head down and do one thing at a time. I have lots of help at hand so I will sign off and get back to it.

And if you have been, thanks for reading. Since I never get comments I am sure no-one is reading this, but hey-ho, that's fine.

Happy New Year.

A couple of my men

2011-12-30T09:32:00.000-08:00

A pic taken whilst visiting the family (son Laurie, daughter in law Nina, Alice (10) and Grisha (2) in Garmisch Partenkirchen, where they live.

Mural by Nina.

House move.

2011-12-15T07:48:00.001-08:00

Suddenly we are moving house to move in with my parents. They need us so everything, Book, jewellery , glassy stuff and all will have to wait a few weeks till we are settled in.
I will soon be back on the blog, so meanwhile happy holidays to all!

The Book, Glass Gold Leaf and Paint

2011-12-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

Progress is being made.

I have edited nearly all chapters and in the early New Year it will go for the final edit (final, ha.), and the self publishing machine will start to grind into action. I am now compiling a list of possible buyers, so I will have an idea of the print run. It will be small, but those who want it, really want it; its been a long time coming. And we can always reprint.

So anybody reading this who may want a copy, please let me know.

And if you have any ideas about institutions to contact such as some obscure glass museum in the Boonies I have never heard of, or some institution of some kind that would be interested, shout!

Some facts about the book:

Glass, Gold Leaf and Paint

Foreword by Bill Gudenrath (Corning Museum of Glass, USA)

A chapter on the history of the techniques by the Munich-based conservator, Simone Bretz

About colour 80 pics.

Apart from the history, there is discussion of materials and how to work with them, equipment, recipes, methods, and a Mirror Project with step by step photos of every stage.

Also there is an extensive biblio., glossary, suppliers list and museums list.

It will be about 20, 000 words, around 200 pages.

I fully expect it to come out next year. Fingers crossed.

More soon!

17^th century églomisé (engraved leaf on glass) Pair of Shepherds Courtesy, Wolfgang Steiner

Bit of a gap

2011-11-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

The gap has been due to a virus that started on 3 October and does not want to go! I finally feel able to write something but the last 6 weeks have been pretty useless in terms of work, and energy is out of the window.

The bug started in Germany, where I was at a conference on reverse glass painting, known as Hinterglasmalerei. Held in the Residence in Wuerzbug, we were given a tour of this extraordinary, fully restored building, and in particular of the mirror room, where painted glass covers walls, doors and ceiling.

I am just back from a weekend at Glashuis, Lommel, Belgium, where, despite bug I did manage to teach 9 students. The glass museum, hot shop and study area is in a very quiet area of Belgium, an hour from Antwerp. This was a second visit there this year. I am to go again next year, when we will run a longer class using hot as well as cold techniques. We also have a plan to run a course based on techniques used only in the early 19th century. They have a big pool of students there, from the glass school in Antwerp, and word is getting around gilding and painting on glass is a good thing. And fun.

The book, Glass, Gold Leaf and Paint, which many will know has been in preparation for some time, will be completed and investigations on how to get it printed and published will then start. I am hoping it will be out next year, but self publishing is new territory for me. I tried to upload the poster I made but cannot do it for some reason.

The development of the jewellery will wait until the book is put away, but I have placed several pieces at the shop at Lommel, and made quite a few sales amongst the students. Very encouraging.

So, more rest for me then back, once again to the wheel. If you have been, thank you for reading.

Pic. experimental necklace with inserts of gilded glass. Photographer, Rob Popper

2011-10-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is the screen exhibited recently at Vessel Gallery, London.

The glass is about 1m tall. All done in reverse with gold, silver and paints.

photo: Ester Segarra

weekends

2011-10-11T03:21:00.000-07:00

The conference on reverse gilding and painting, Hinterglasmalerei, was intriguing.

So many people who are interested in the history of the art, who care deeply about when and where certain work was made and how much was paid for it. Others are restorers and conservators who do not actually know how it is done. Practitioners could be counted on one hand. The only other person under 80 who practiced was Eric Winkler, so we ganged up and had much to discuss. He is a great enthusiast and researcher, based in Amsterdam.

The next conference will be 5/6 October, 2012, in Augsburg. I hope to have not only copies of the book, Glass Gold Leaf and Paint, but also to be exhibiting work to show not only what I have done over the years, but what CAN be done with the medium. It would be so good to get younger people hooked, somehow. Sadly the economy is prohibiting people like myself from teaching short courses at colleges.

Flight back was a killer: dep. 7.30 am. and straight into the 2nd weekend of Open Studio. It was Sunday so had to hop all over by bus to get home.

O.S. was a success, lots of visitors and good feedback for the new jewellery line. People very positive. I am sure more sales will follow when I find the right market. Ha, marketing.

So of course caught a bug and am now in bed trying to get rid of it. The joys of bed-blogging.

More soon.

This weekend

2011-10-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

Off to Wurzburg, Germany tomorrow to a 2- day conference on Hinterglasmalerei. There I will spread the word about the Book, which we hope will appear in Sept. next year.

Goose pendant

2011-10-03T03:44:00.000-07:00

Open Studios is open next weekend too, 8,9 October, as well as pv on Thursday evening, 7-9pm.

Had a very good first weekend, and lets hope we have a good turnout for the 2nd!

New pics of Jewellery

2011-09-29T00:19:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the photograher Rob Popper, rob.popper@marketsquares.co.uk, I have some excellent new pics of the latest jewellery.

These are, as is all the jewellery, gilded glass, using gold, moon and white gold leaf. The light catches them and they look different as they move and reflect. Here are cufflinks and earrings.

Contact me please for more info.

Tuesday

2011-09-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Slightly overwhelmed by the prospect of the new business and all there is to do.

But here is a pic of a tiny pendant that will match a set of earrings, that will also match cufflinks etc. More, better pics, are on the way. Cord is replaced by thin silver chain.

Looking for help to maintain website.

exciting new business

2011-09-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

I am having great fun making a new business. I am finding out not only how to convert gilded glass into jewellery, but also learning the business side, which is costing, publicity, the web and so on. A new journey. Please keep visiting, you will see updates often.

First event is Open Studios, 1, 2 October at the studio, 20 Valonia Gdns. London SW18 1PY.

All feedback welcome and of course visitors.

Resuming business.

2011-09-19T08:34:00.001-07:00

It's been a while but we are back. Pictures will be coming soon. Have patience. F

2011-09-19T08:33:00.001-07:00

Test

Last update

2010-12-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

To my loyal band of followers:

I have changed my website, www.gilding.net and it is completely new.

Now I can get in and make changes as the work progresses and can keep all the pages up to date with no trouble. Well, not too much.

And NEW is the online shop, with items such as hand drawn greetings cards, and eglomise jewellery to come.

So there is no need for a blog anymore.

Thank you so much for visiting and signing up; do please keep a regular eye on the new site, keep in touch AND please tell your friends about this brand new venture.

Greetings for Christmas and the New Year,

Frances

September, new developments

2010-09-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Recent events have been encouraging. The acceptance in to the Biennale was a boost, and further selection of Big Bird for Essence, the extension show at London Glassblowing will give the work more exposure.

Maybe I am beginning to get somewhere at last, who knows. The medium is new to so many people; I have to give people time to become accustomed to seeing it. I just hope if I keep sticking it under their noses and continue to produce new stuff they will get it, and start to collect.

Looking at the Humpen and then at Big Bird, the connections between the two are evident. although I do not have a pic of an old glass with an eagle on, maybe you get the idea. The eagle was represented very often as it was the symbol of the dominant Hapsburg Empire. Reverse painting and gilding on glass in Germany and Bohemia was widespread at the time drinking glasses, known as Humpen, were being produced. The larger, more ornate ones were used as commemorative, presentation glasses. Decoration, in the form of enamel painting, was applied to the outer surface and fired, to bond the paint to the glass.

The techniques I most often used are cold, so the decoration has to be protected by its application to the underside of the glass. But how to gain access to the underside of a blown glass?

I have resolved this problem in a variety of ways; in the case of the Humpen, I made a series of horizontal cuts in the glass and after decoration, reassembled it.

The common use of the Hapsburg eagle led to my use in this work of a big bird.

I am venturing into new waters: jewellery. This is very exciting and I believe has colossal potential. I have decorated a series of optical testing glasses that I was given by a kind friend. For a long time they sat on the shelf, then the penny dropped. They are thick and curved and perfect for imagery.

Here are 4 of them, ready for the jeweller Paul Simmonds to set the mount. He will make silver and gold plated bands to fit around them. I am in the process of assembling beads and chains and all the necessary to make a fine piece of jewellery. It is quite a business, and I have to learn silver working and bead threading. The possibilities are very exciting, as through history cuff links, buttons, brooches, pendants and rings have all been made with églomisé.

The first collection will be shown at Handmade in Britain (end Oct., Chelsea Town Hall) where I will be most interested in the reaction of the public.... and hopefully sales will follow, at last!

August

2010-07-29T02:28:00.000-07:00

Below is set out course info as well as information on upcoming events in which I am taking part.

CLASSES AND EVENTS, 2010

ONE-DAY CLASSES IN PAINTING AND GILDING ON GLASS, VERRE ÉGLOMISÉ.

Classes are held on Fridays on the following days:

September 10, 17 / Oct. 1/ Nov. 12, 19

Taught by: Frances Federer

francesbin@earthlink.net, www.gilding.net and blog, http://francesfederer.blogspot.com

Where: 20 Valonia Gardens, London SW18 1PY. Mobile tel. 07952 720 386

How Much: £200.00; a deposit of £100.00 is required to book a space.

Materials fee: £25.00

Class size: 2

Hours: 10am -5pm

How to Book? Please send your deposit to above address.

(Kindly make cheques out to Frances Federer).

The balance of the fee, together with materials fee (£125.00) is payable at the class.

Dates: To be arranged individually

Lunch, tea and coffee. All included, simple but filling.

Equipment for all classes and all back up materials are given out.

These classes are suitable for students both with and without experience in painting and/or gilding on glass. New techniques are being developed all the time and there is always something to learn. We will decorate glass with precious metal leaf and with a variety of backing up methods, always taking the opportunity to push the medium further. All work is carried out on the back of the glass, with the final work being viewed from the front, through the sheet of glass.

EXHIBITIONS AND TRADE FAIRS

I am taking part in the following:

27 August to 11 September 2010 British Glass Biennale at the Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge;  Open daily 10am - 5pm, www.biennale.org.uk

22 October First Glass Galerie, Munich, Germany, Group Show.
www.first-glas-galerie.de

27th – 30th October

Handmade in Britain, Chelsea Old Town Hall, London (Private view evening 27th Oct 5.00 – 9.00 pm). www.handmadeinbritain.co.uk

June

2010-06-24T03:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, 23rd June, I passed the final hurdle and have now qualified as a Master of Philosophy from The Royal College of Art, London. This was a 2-year research degree and the subject was, Glass, Gold and the Image. It will be possible to gain access to my thesis in due course, from the college. YEH.

Having some distance from the work I did at that time, I can now see more clearly the most important achievements of this research. I will briefly set them out here, as it is worth noting.

I was for many years concerned with gilding on flat glass but moved into working on blown glass about 6 years ago. The research allowed me to examine the following: how to protect cold gilding on glass; how layering of glass and imagery would work and how best to combine form with decoration, bearing in mind the need for protection.

The ground I covered in this research was new: I have not found any other person working with these particular issues, and the field was wide open.

I found out how to decorate both surfaces of the glass with engraved gilding and how to use the space between to create depth. I learned about the reflective surface and how to work with that to create whatever kind of world interested me. There is a lot more of course but these are the main points.

The steep learning curve is leading to new work that I could not have hoped to make without the support of the RCA and my time there.

Off to Poland for a few weeks in a couple of days, and back on the scene end of July.

I would love to hear back from anyone who might read this.... comments?

Have a wonderful summer! f

May

2010-05-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

Greetings for May.

It is getting busier and busier. Have got into the swing of regular fairs (Cambridge Glass Fair) but more are coming along. I will be showing at Handmade in Britain, first time, later in the year and there is the Glass Biennale coming up in the late summer.

One big preoccupation is now the Book, which has been cooking for many years. Now the research is over and I am making work, I have to get on with it once and for all. I am getting responses from other artists who have been working with reverse glass gilding (verre eglomise) so I can show their work as examples. Work will continue through the summer (crouching in my caravan in the depths of Poland).

I will of course announce it once it is nearing completion, and in the meantime will be keeping my eyes open for tips on how to publicize a self published book. Is Amazon a good idea? What does anyone think?

Picture: this is going in the Biennale: size H36 x D33 x W42cm. Big Bird.

April 2010

2010-04-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

Classes:
Simply, classes run when there are enough students. I am happy to teach anyone who wants to learn, but I need a minimum of 2 students. For possible dates please email me direct as I can then arrange a class, in my studio in London, to suit all parties.

Fairs and Galleries
Please continue to visit the blog for information on exhibiting and various up coming Fairs. I have just started down the long road of Fairs and galleries. The first Fair was Cambridge, and now, in May there will be Birmingham! I will be continuing to show throughout the year with most Fairs near or in London. It will be fun to meet readers of the blog who can come to see (and start to collect) some of my work.

Zest Gallery in London is starting to show the work, www.zestgallery.com.
Also, I have been taken on by an excellent glass gallery in Munich (the only one),First Glas Galerie, www.first-glas-galerie.de. They will include me in their Autumn show.

This tumbler is one of several. Fired painting is applied to the outside surface, which is a change as I am usually working on the reverse, or inside. The tumblers are blown by Liam Reeves who does all my blowing. In the kiln the glass was slumped as it fired the painting, making the whole object out of whack, unlikely.

More soon. Keep in touch.

class cancellation

2010-03-15T06:47:00.001-07:00

March update

2010-03-02T06:53:00.000-08:00

In this glass gold leaf was glued to the outer surface of the glass and engraved. The glass was then heated slowly in the kiln over several hours. When hot enough, it was picked up and put into the furnace, to fuse the gold to the glass. Only if the glass is heated to slumping point will the fusing be successful and remain permanent. This is how much of my work is done with the hot process. The cold process is different.

Meanwhile, my first trade fair, The Cambridge Glass Fair, last weekend, went very well.

I shall be showing next:

The National Glass Fair, Sunday, 9 May, Solihull. www.glassfairs.co.uk

Recollect, a group show, www.recollectexhibition.org. at the following locations:

Glass Art Gallery at London Glassblowing, 12th-29th May 2010

62-66 Bermondsey Street,London SE1 3UD

tel:02074032800 info@londonglassblowing.co.uk

www.londonglassblowing.co.uk, and

Burgh House and Hampstead Museum 12th-16th May 2010

New End Square,Hampstead,London NW3 1LT

tel:02074310144

info@burghhouse.org.uk www.burghhouse.org.uk

These are curated by the artists, Emma Woffenden and Matt Durran,

contact details
info@mattdurran.com
+44 (0)79393242312

Reflect 2010, the London Glass Fair, Sunday 13 June, at Kensington Town Hall. www.reflectlondon.com

Dorset Art Weeks, 29 May -13 June, www.dorsetartweeks.co.uk.

2010-02-17T14:13:00.000-08:00

The time for the Cambridge Glass Fair is fast coming. Being the first show for a very long time, I am spending hours rehearsing ... sorting out glass shelving, lighting, display etc. Amazing how much there is to do as prep, apart from making the work! But its coming along.

I am looking forward to feedback and starting to gather collectors. This will be a good practice for the London show, in June.

This glass has gold applied to the outer surface of the glass. It was applied in sheets, with gelatine as glue, then engraved to make the pattern. The gold is bonded to the glass by heating the object till softening point and then annealing it.

Photo credits

2010-02-08T01:08:00.000-08:00

photos: all are taken by Ester Segarra.

2010-02-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

The sizes are: taller one with silver snail, 24 cm high x 9cm diameter. Small blue/silver about 15 cm high.

Images on the blog

2010-02-07T06:55:00.000-08:00

Here are blown glass vessels based on 16th century Humpen. These were ceremonial glasses made in central Europe for around 150-200 years. Often they had a trail or painted divisions for a drinking game. You had to drink down to the first trail in one gulp and if you failed, you had to drink to the next. Other times the glasses were painted with coats of arms or the double headed eagle of the Hapsburg Empire. I took the idea of the divisions to make the breaks necessary in the glass in order to get inside and do the gilding and painting. I am experimenting with different ways of using the divisions: making them a feature or ignoring them, as with these ones. Other pictures on the site are of blown bubbles which I have cut horizontally to allow access. Gilding is applied also to the outer surface and fired on. This way I can make layers and create depth, using the thickness of the glass. The thickness of the glass, as with the heavy red glass shown earlier, has an important part to play with decoration applied front and back.
If you are a reader and find this of interest, do let me know and I can write more.

2010-02-02T04:06:00.000-08:00

Feb update

2010-02-02T03:47:00.000-08:00

I have just been in New York, teaching a class at Corning followed by 4 days' jaunt in NY. There, with an old friend, we walked our legs off looking at galleries and eating. I still managed to come back fat, I don't know why.

Plans are afoot to teach a 2-week class there again in summer, 2011, with my friend Rene Culler. www.reneculler.com. Our skills and experience overlap well; it should be a rich mix.

So, my immediate plans are this:

Sunday February 28, I will be exhibiting my glass for the first time at The Cambridge Glass Fair Chilford Hall, Linton CB21 4LE. www.cambridgeglassfair.com

Then, there will be the first London day long class this year in Chelsea on March 13. For more information please email: info@houseofmirrors.co.uk

I will update again with further news. Meanwhile I have added some more pics. Please sign up when you feel like it so it looks like someone is reading this. Though I don't mind mumbling to myself.

2010-01-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

New work on blown glass since June 2009.