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New Year, New Project…
Well, I should start this post by wishing you a happy new year!
Sorry I haven’t blogged for a while. I’ve been kinda busy. During December, I was really busy with the Erewash Festival of Light. I did lots of workshops in primary schools in the area; I made over 90 decorations for the young ones to decorate, and then I also prepared and helped design/decorate over 185 glass jar lanterns. That’s 185 jars to wash and de-label. 185 names to ensure written on. 185 cable ties to check tight and trim. 185 lengths of twist tie to cut… and a LOT of tissue paper, tracing paper and glass marker pens to prepare. I must have sounded like some raging alcholic every time I went anywhere with my bags of glass, clinking away…. cheers!
So, that, and a little thing called Christmas was how I saw the tail end of 2012. But new year, new project, and I am now moving on to the Metal Ages. This is part of a the two year long Excite Inspire Engage Erewash; inspired by local heritage, and supported by Arts Council England and Erewash Partnership, it will explore different art forms with a series of workshops and exhibitions.
I am collaborating with another Ilkeston based artist, Gavin Darby of Frailloop a sculptor who describes himself as “I am Gavin and I weld things”. Take a look at his website, you will see that in fact, he is so much more – he creates fabulous sculptures which are full of character from bits from cars, machinery and so on. As well as the workshops we’re going to be running, which will involve both metal and glass technniques, casting and bridge building, we are working towards producing two sculptures that will live permanently, one at the King George Gallery and another at Erewash Museum.
We recently took a visit to Magna, a former steel foundry in Rotheram, and will be looking at the former Stanton Ironworks site, Bennerly Viaduct, manhole covers and generally looking at the former thriving steel and iron industry that once was in the Erewash area.
I was really sensible when I sorted my camera out to take with me on the Magna visit. Put in new batteries, and recharged not one, but two spare sets. Feeling smug, knowing I wasn’t going to run out of ‘fire power’ I get out my camera, to find it said memory full… so all I could get was a few snaps on the iPhone…. ah well, I have my (metal) memories…
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We Did It!!
It’s up!I’ve had a few sleepless nights lately, and yesterday I nearly wore a whole through the carpet in anticipation, although we were thwarted by the weather. All in the name of intalling the Olympic Legacy Wall at Kirk Hallam (KHCTSC)Today, the weather was a little kinder, and the rain held off. A few hairy moments when it was being lifted onto it’s brackets, as it’s so heavy, it’s there, and I think it looks rather good!I will come back later and post a more detailed account of the project and fill in any gaps from before, but I am just so excited, pleased (and relieved!) to see it up, I had to post this image – including scaffolding and humans to give you an idea of scale. It is placed around 3 metres up from the ground to the lower edge, glad I didn’t have to climb the scaffold tower!
The Olmypic Legacy Wall -
Workshops
I updated my website just before I went away, but I forgot to share! I’ve pencilled in some new dates for glass fusing workshops at my studio in Derbyshire …NEW WORKSHOP DATES.
During my one day taster sessions, I will show you how to cut and handle glass safely; we practice with clear window glass first – most students create a small wall hanging in the morning, and later we move onto using Bullseye Glass – a brand of fusing glass that has the most gorgeous range of colours in sheet glass as well as ‘accessory’ glass such as frit and stringer, as well as using inclusions and other methods.
I show you various methods of assembling coloured glass to produce a small range of glass pieces for pendants, brooches, cufflinks etc, or perhaps a coaster, as well as explaining a bit about the technical side of things – you’ll get some advice notes to take away, and I can talk you through related products such as kilns, cold-working equipment and so on.At the end of the day, your work is loaded into my digitally controlled glass kiln to be fired overnight – your work will be annealed for strength and durability, so the pieces you make are suitable for practical use either for yourself as as gifts for others.
On a standard day, I do not show you now to make anything specific as I prefer to let you explore your own creativity whilst learning the new techniques, although I occasionally will be running themed workshops. Of course if there is anything special you’d like to make, then we can look at this too! Normal fusing days are for groups of 3 to 5 people, so lots of time to help you get things right. If a small group of people want a class tailoring to specifc needs, please get in touch and we can work this out.
Prices for 2011 are only £50 per person, per day – this includes tuition, access to tools and equipment, firing costs, and supply of glass and accessories to make several pieces to keep.
