class cancellation

March update

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.

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

photos: all are taken by Ester Segarra.

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

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.