Thinking about my exhibition stuff

This is really quite a lot of work, and I am not sure how to show my stuff, nor how much to put out. This is what I had out to grab the hot and cold glass tutors so they could do my assessments (a tedious business, but one has to play the game otherwise the college doesn't get its funding for next year).

I thought I might have a 'from blob to bowl' area with my very first hot glass object (yes, a blob) to this, my 3rd attempt at a latticino bowl.

Display space

This is my area in preparation.

Here I am doing something really worthwhile -- covering some heavy duty bricks with white paper so they blend in. They're for my 'comma' to rest on.

Yards and yards of calico

For the last two days we have been organising our rooms for the exhibition. I think we bought 100 yards of calico, now stapled to tables, boards and lockers. We've even sewn down the edges. Before and after pictures to be posted. The room looks like misted milk at present. People are reluctant to bring their precious pieces in yet as it needn't be viewing-ready till next week. A lot of scurrying about going on while everybody finishes what they have to do first. Better get downstairs and fit my 6th stopper in my 6th wonky scent bottle.

Isn't this exciting

This is what we are doing - in preparation for our display of work for assessment and for the moderator to inspect. A lot of fun -- as you can see.

Witch's mirror

This is my leaded stained glass panel and it began with the witches' mirrors I saw at the Eyes, Lies and Illusion exhibition at the Hayward last year. I quite like it held against the light so the sandblasted effects show, though the intention was that the central bit would be a distortion mirror - as in fairgrounds. I think I would have had to cut deep, highly polished circles into a thick sheet of glass on the punty wheels and then get it silvered.

Tension in the college

This is what the base room looked like last night as everyone scurried to clear their lockers and pack up all their glass to take out of the building. Some breakages, a great deal of tension and lots of tears. I thought the stress wasn't getting to me, as I've done all the work, but in fact I found it was. Though I have variety for my display, there isn't much I feel particularly proud of.

Graal technique

Left the egg and right the bowl (blown by Helen) made with my design. This is an interesting technique, but mine isn't a success. I spent untold hours cutting, sandblasting and painting the original graal egg (with paradise paints), but I don't like it; not as I'd imagined. Design based on a photochronogram of a walking man.

Colour at last

I spent today 'painting' with glass. Cutting up little bits of colour and pushing them around. Bit worried about having reds and yellows together as they are temperamental and one might crack the other. I'll cry about it on these pages if I do. This is what I have been wanting to try for some time, instead of playing the ticking boxes game and getting stuff ready for assessment. Do I need that, at my age?
PS - took it home at the weekend, and it hasn't broken yet, though apparently it might as the centre of the spiral is a little thicker than the rest and may be a stress point. Wish someone had told me that could happen before I started.
The design was based on the Photoshop painting I did in week 6, manipulated with watercolour and twirl filters.

Last teaching week

Who says this is a year's course? Six months, more like. It's Week 24 and the last teaching week. Now we prepare for assessment. Next week, we have to empty all our shelves and lockers with tons of stuff in them, plus notes, plus design portfolios, plus early experiments, so we can strip down the rooms to create an exhibition space. Then, we bring back the stuff we want to show (and that has to include all notes, design books and evidence of early rubbish to show progress). Who thought up that clever idea? Glass being not only heavy, but breakable. I'm actually on top of everything (unlike some who are getting stressed because they haven't completed assignments).

Glass jewellery

I've always thought jewellery should use precious metals and precious stones. Not any more. Here are a couple of necklaces for my display table (we have a show of work in about 2 weeks). A bunch of earrings ready as well. Not specially original, but I did bead-making as relaxation and just let them happen as they would. Used here with silver chenille and silver beads.

Comma Separated Values

Here is my kiln-fused exhibition piece framed with an aluminium-leaf front. This was really difficult to do and has occupied swathes of time. Even though I've scraped it off and tried again in places, it is far from perfect. Best viewed from a slight distance. I think it will just have to do. And the lesson learned is commission someone else to do the whole of the framing next time. Gilding is a specialised technique.

Easter egg

Adding to my annual collection of blown eggs, here's the one I did Stephen this year. Different kind of blown -- obviously. And engraved, not painted.