Guild of Glass Engravers AGM

AGMs are always tedious and this was no exception, but the two speakers, Caroline Swash and Claudia Phipps (picture of her window at Eton College) were an inspiration. I did think I ought to stop fiddling about with the blowing and shift to the kiln rooms. I'll never be any good at blowing whereas there's a chance I might have a voice of my own in architectural or installation glass. Another month concentrating on the narrow area I have grasped hold of and then it has to be decision time. Possibly the essay writing will help clarify my mind.

Like sugar; like glass

I wonder if you could make something like this out of glass. I think the lattice part of it should be possible. This is done in a croquembouche mould (?sp) and we know the theory of how that's done in sugar as of last weekend. So can I put the weekend down as research then? Everything is research, really.

It's time to get serious now and knuckle down to the academic part of the MA and dig myself in to 'Why is a wine glass not a shoe?' Am quite enjoying playing with my proposition. But I'll have to limit it. Maybe even boil it down to 'Why glass?' 

Glass, historic cookery and windows

What have all these in common? A rivetting weekend is what. Two days spent learning a great deal about Georgian and Regency cookery in Cumbria -- not all that much about glass, it has to be said, except that our wonderful and hugely knowledgeable mentor and host had not come across a book on what glass shapes go with what drinks, though he did (interestingly) think the fashion element crept in with the industrial revolution.

Then on to York where we admired the glass in the Minster as well as the set pieces in the Glory of Glass exhibition in Fairfax House (historic food done by our new friend, Ivan Day).

Week 9 at Farnham

Have dropped my camera, so no pictures this week. But nothing to show anyway. I've spent all available time in the hot shop practising and practising. Why don't I just give up now and turn to something I could be good at? I don't know. But I am making some sort of progress; my set up of the bubble is decidedly improved. And if I am not getting anything into the lehr, it's partly because I have become more discerning and more prepared to throw away a piece when I can see it's going to be no good. At Brierley, there was some pressure to bang on to the end and box it because otherwise you would lose your turn. So what I am doing now is a bit like practising scales.

Debate at the V&A

Very peculiar title (grammatically) which none of the four speakers really addressed. No one mentioned truth to the materials or authenticity of the object; it was all about sincerity of the artist. But it was also about fragmentation of the self. And the last speaker used it as a springboard to advertise Creative Commons licensing now that -- his view -- the internet was robbing authorship of its authority and therefore of authenticity. Made my blood boil.

Day returns to Farnham

What an exciting picture, eh! 20 hours just travelling this week -- that's four day returns to Farnham. Today I am regrouping and getting my strength back. But it was a good week with an exciting day on colour yesterday. Below -- a roll-up and one of my sandcast pieces that I sliced up on the diamond saw and then fused in the kiln. Really good kiln equipment at Farnham. Yes, it is worth the journeying.