Glass Echoes 2

Here's my alcove in the Crypt Gallery - phenomenally hard to photograph. Stephen took these and fellow exhibitor Andrew Graves-Johnston has posted all his photos of Glass Echoes 2 on Flickr. I struggled a bit with the lighting - though it looks better than this. The port-hole at the back was easier to light because I could diffuse it with tracing paper. I think the exhibition was successful, but it is difficult to tell when you are close to it.

Very nearly 100% success

I have found my blower at last. Just as I was beginning to lose confidence in my idea because of the fall-out rate and the difficulties inherent in the technique, I spent a day in Cornwall with a team who approached it differently. I've come away with some rondels I really like - and only one of them went a bit wrong (warped in the lehr), but even that one is OK compared to the last 10 or so made in various hotshops. And Cornwall is very pretty, the sun shone, and I had a very pleasant jaunt (I needed to be there the day before to prepare and the day after to collect). I'm not saying the other hotshops I have tried can't do this too, but the real bonus is that we were using lead glass, not soda, and it is just much nicer - twice the price too, a long drive, but certainly worth it.

Failure revisited

There's no such thing as 100% failure because ideas arise out of something that didn't work the first time. The West Midlands collaboration continues and after further thought and discussion, this cylinder moderates what happened on my last trip. Ideas for lighting here. But I think we are going to open this out and flatten it to see what that effect is.

Photographs taken up in Dudley yesterday for the Corning exhibition.

100% failure

Up to the West Midlands yesterday with 6 of my 'embryo' blanks to blow out for the hospital project. Not a single one worked. The best one - shown left - fell off the paddle and broke just as we were putting it away into the lehr. Another folded and cracked. But not a single one was any good - even to give away as a 'second'. Very disheartening (not to mention time-consuming and expensive). Ah well, win some; lose some.

'Unpolished' Jewellery Exhibition

How nice - I am in the Unpolished exhibition of experimental jewellery online at the CGS website. 28 pieces selected (of course one doesn't know how many submissions they had). Still acceptance always feels encouraging.