Went on a day's marbling course in Radnorshire this weekend to learn how it's really done. Here's my ink floating on a bed of moss size ready for feathering. It did occur to me that one could devise adjustable combs for glass to imitate some of the effects we learned, though you'd have to be pretty quick about it while the glass was very hot. How did the Egyptians do it? Anyhow, we all enjoyed the day and it's given me ideas - not to mention lots of paper for covering notebooks. 
I've been continuing my experiments with swirling 'marbling effects' and complementing them by playing along with the uneven factor. Intentionally -- but can't honestly claim total control. I quite like them, but hubby does not. A new kind of jug, I said. A new kind of wobble, quoth he.
He of the famous glass vase (blown originally into a wooden mould, we noted). Went to the exhibition at the Barbican today and saw the vases and chairs and rather more architecture than I can take. Best idea for me was the exhibition space (designed by Shigeru Ban) which was boundaried by cardboard tubes. V agreeable effect.
My own cast blocks (done before visiting MRJ) were partially successful, though 3 out of 4 have cracked at the corners. Maybe this 'baby-sitting' idea has some merit. I like the effect of the pate de verre inclusions -- though after a useful session talking to Max Jacquard about them, I feel I could be more subtle in my approach. Limit the colour palette so it's more monochrome -- as in my working drawing; and more painterly as well. All based on my own spinal injury. I think I have a few more ideas, though, about widening out the possibilities.
Here we are at MJR Furnaces at the weekend helping Charlie and Tina cast some blocks for their glass quilt -- inspired by a fabric quilt -- inspired by The Gerkin. I don't look as if I was helping, but I was 'baby-sitting' the cast pieces as they cooled (tamping the moulds up and down on the marver) and opening the lehr door to put them away. Vita is filming. Quilter in the background. Interesting little tips learned, including one about sand-casting resist that I am not allowed to divulge. Interesting the recipe secracy that still goes on amongst crafstpersons.
The brief for this engraving (not my own blown) was that it had to show the recipient in a triathlon event, his dog, and an interest -- I chose Poker. Quite difficult, but it all came together quite easily and the accuracy of engraving is my best so far.
An inspirational talk by this young man - 2 or 3 years after he did his MA at the RCA. I found it quite inspirational and had a very good tutorial with him in the hot shop in the afternoon. He is doing interesting things with cutting glass and then picking it up again and re-shaping in the glory-hole. It gave me ideas -- funnily enough I had been playing around with the mitre diamond cutter the day before. Picture shows one of his 'splash' bowls. Rather pleasingly -- he sang the praises of DACS.
Had a good chat with Steve Klein who made this kiln-formed and blown piece - meant to be landscape but this silly program has its own ideas. He was very helpful on techniques. It takes him about an hour a hole to finish the necks of the round pieces which he knocks off from the blowing iron, having picked up a kiln-fused panel. He then grooves the amber stripes on a diamond wheel and the white ones on another - using different grits, which he told me. And then he smooths the finish with a clear oil, which again he told me the name of, but it was an American brand and I thought I could try baby oil first. Or google him in Portland's Bullseye studio and ask. Very friendly. Another chap told me exactly how he partially closed up a large blown vessel at the top and then made a hole right through and opened the top out again. But I forgot to take his name or a picture.
Some goblet curiosities were a set of 'sculptures' set on blown and found wine glass feet -- not sure what the artist is saying here. And a Venetian-style goblet within a bottle by Richard Meitner -- a statement about the ultimate in non-functionality.
Thank goodness I am at home today as I should not fancy driving to Farnham in this snow. This is Stephen outside our house skiing to work. What's snow got to do with glass? Well, not for the first time, it's struck me that glass and water share the same quality of being able to be liquid and solid and to manifest in various states.
I watched Magdalena Odundo raising a coiled pot today and it struck me how different making glass and making pots is though both rely on being on centre. This was so physical, so close to the material; glass is always at arms length. And yet the importance of the thumbs in both activity are paramount.
To Dan Klein's house to see the exhibition of four engravers/sandblasters -- very much my interest. I liked this one by Charmian Mocatta almost the best, partly because I liked the combination of her work with a kiln piece by Colin Reid. What was nice was being able to look very closely at how the pieces were done.
I thought if I stuck to a repetitive task this afternoon I might get somewhere. So I tried to get the hang of the footboard -- made about 30; all too small; all off-centre; all too thick. And the footboard Stephen made me for Christmas is all burnt - banged up my my mishandling. Slightly demoralising.
Another tipsy trio -- the middle one leans over at a drunken angle. To be christened tonight when a friend is coming to supper who will, I know, angle to get me to part with it.
I - amazingly - sold this sandcast today. I called it 'Blue Breezes'. It's actually landscape, but this program doesn't want to show it that way round. I've also taken (another) commission for a blue engraved plate. So I am distinctly not feeling blue. I don't know if I should or should not be selling stuff I make at college, but why not? I can't keep it all, and people keep asking me to. Remarkable how many people actually like wobbly glasses. The Farnham bunch would disapprove, I feel sure.
