The lion and the unicorn

Since this blog is seen through glass, first mention of our trip yesterday to St George's Bloombury (Hawkesmoor) is of the fine windows inside the church which I inspected with renewed interest in the technique of tracing black and silver stain. But the real excitement was climbing the scaffolding up the tower to see the restored lions and unicorns fighting for the crown at each corner of the stepped pinnacle. And not a bad view of the British Museum from the gantry. Spectacular!



Then on to the gallery at Morley College for the PV of our glass engraving students' show.

V&A Inspired by ...

My plate has been accepted for the exhibition in May. When I delivered it, I passed by the stained glass gallery and was inspired by this fragment. The exaggeration of the features is something that would work well in glass engraving. I also inspected the use of tracing black and silver stain with informed interest. Painting with glass enamels is an art in itself.

Chandeliers

We have been over-Eastering in the countryside in a extraordinary folly of a house -- imaginative in every way. In almost every room (our personal bathroom included) were glass chandeliers and sconces. We dined by the light of the second. I'm quite converted to the way the glass droplets reflect the light and create a drama in the room. Not hitherto my taste. Very interested, too, that the droplets all have drilled holes with the wire threading through rubbling straight against the glass. What does this tell me about my piece?

Another blow in Stourbridge

Am just back from another session with Martin - four goblets and then supper at the Spice of Lyeffe. Good fun. One of the goblets is fairly respectable. But why is it that when you collect them from the lehr next day they always seem smaller than when you were blowing them. A serious downsideof my wineglasses is that very few of them hold enough wine.

Assessment day

Why is the educational system so stuck in political correctness and assessment-criteria box-ticking? I was happy to lay out my stall of maquettes, designs, trial pieces and notes -- because it's useful to have deadlines; that's the real world. But the tutors had to focus on the paperwork that is required of them. It's not their fault and indeed I sympathise; they must be champing at the bit over it as much as I am. Trouble is, it leaves no time for what I'd understood 'group feedback' to be -- a moderated space in which all of us could look at each other's work and react to it. What 'group feedback' appears to mean is how does the group perform as a group and what are the perimeters of a level playing field in which there are equal opportunities. Ergo, someone like me who can afford a second-hand kiln is obliquely disadvantaging those who can only come to the classes. Is this a penalty point? And decided point against anyone who can write academically because the essay we have to hand in next term is specially tailored so it is accessible to anyone dyslexic or partially sighted. So -- did I hear this correctly -- it can be partly drawn and it can be recorded rather than written. Chicago-Vancouver rules for the Bibliography? Not at WAES.

Not happy with my design

Top picture shows window layout with the window itself in the background. And whoops, who is that portrait of a little girl with pigtails? It's me when I was 10. Intense or what! Second pic is me thinking, Well, will I do it in the window after all? The reception space seemed so nasty last time I went -- dark, tatty and ... So here's a photo of a paper maquette I've done transporting the same idea to two white walls, one in the reception area, and one beyond, but visible as people come from the lifts. It's technically more complex. But I'm thinking about it.

Guild of Glass Engravers London AGM

All very proper and done by the book - decisons, proposers and seconders and all that. Then we had a discussion on sources of inspiration led by Josephine Harris. Quite interesting to see what magazine cuttings people had brought with them and what they intended to do with them. I did my usual copying pictures copyright issues anxiety thing -- which fell on deaf ears. Forgot to take a picture, so here's one of my new room with my engraving things -- except for the drill shaft itself which has gone to Mr Kagan to have new bearings fitted and so that he can try and make me a fitting to hold the pin-drill-bit that I need to make tiny holes in my lenses.

The search for fittings

This is the second time I have trailed up and down looking for fittings so I can join the lenses together. I don't know why this is such an intractable problem. OK today it was Hatton Garden, the jewellery area, and I don't really need silver or gold fitting, but the Bead Shop (where I've been 3 times) only does fittings for beads. Also went to a fishing tackle shop in Stoke Newington which had good long crimps, which will be better than the ones I bought before. I think it simple is going to have to be holes drilled into the glass. I bought six 1.1 mm drill bits today and treated myself to an expensive pair of round-nosed pliers.

Maquette

I thought it would be a good idea to string up a few lenses within a frame (not the shape of the final design) to see what the problems might be. E.g. it might be a two-person job and I am not sure threading them 4-deep will work. I did think I had got the methodology right -- 2 holes in each lense, a metal or rubber ring glued inside, and then threaded on tensile cable and double crimped. However, looking at it with a jeweller's eye, the tutor of the day, Yvonne Coffey, thought the detailing a bit naff and she was worried about safety. So it is back to the drawing board. At any rate, this is the effect I want -- lots of distortion and illusion, which this picture doesn't convey.

Glass Bar

Transposed-space experience by Euston Station at a gay bar -- called The Glass Bar. I wondered whether it related to the Glass Ceiling (as in women's achievement potential) but informed by my companion that not. Day at WAES all about fixtures and fittings as far as I was concerned (how to secure my lenses) -- then on to a glass and ceramics private view in Islington where I noted that frames, lighting, wall-hanging and all that looked like afterthoughts.

My Glass Circle Lecture

Yesterday I gave my presentation on my year at the International Glass Centre with 40 slides showing what we did in all the seven different areas of the course. I think it went well; certainly I had a good audience (bumped up it is true by the odd friend and relation) and interested questions. Peter Layton said it was 'brave and impressive'. Not sure what 'brave' means. Foolhardy perhaps, to show heavy, wobbly glass to a society of connoisseurs. But it was something a little different from their usual.

Casting is not for me

... but I've learned something. The wax has to be perfect before you go any further. Because I did this ampersand by the lost-wax method and if I had got the exact sculptural shape I wanted at an earlier stage, I wouldn't have impossible cold-working to do. I don't think I will finish this one. But it was interesting to try it out.

Central St Martins Open Day

I went to the open day and exhibitions today. I don't know [sigh].


The glass department is down in the basement and is rather cramped and gloomy. We were taken round by a photography tutor who couldn't answer specific questions. And the pieces made by the current Post Grads didn't wow me. Don't know if the text of Failed WorkNo. 2 is legible. Is this typical of art education?

Casting the ampersand

I actually managed to make 2 moulds on my own -- only asking for a little help from my colleagues. I don't actually enjoy the whole process, because it is a lot of mess before the fun part begins. But the more familiar you get with a process, the easier it is to do next time. Question remains -- what is the point of casting a glass ampersand? Never mind, I decided yesterday was just playtime.

Visiting Katharine Coleman

I went to tea with Katharine Coleman in her workshop yesterday to have a chat about my article for the Guild of Glass Engravers, acquiring a lathe, photographing glass, and other things. She said something I've since been turning over in my mind about what an engraved object is for; what does it say? What is the engraving adding that makes a meaningful statement. Traditionally, it's had a commemorative purpose, as I had in mind in my 7 July bowl, but that doesn't move us very far towards the 21st century. I am remembering now that my award at Brierley was for cold glass decoration, but what do we now take that word to mean?

Later in the day, Franky came round with a hugely improved version of my Cinderella plate. What I learned from him was that the art of touching up in PhotoShop is not to be eschewed.

Why did I bunk both my classes today

Because there's too much to do at home.
Have been trying to create a studio so I can use my kiln. Here's where I've got to -- floor sanded but not varnished. I didn't do that bit, but I have spent all day clearing up. Will have to have fireproof bit for the kiln, and good ventilation. No sink in the room -- but I can run up or downstairs. Can have quite a big table though. The trouble is, I like it all empty and minimalistic like this, with my basketerium as tool containerage -- but I know me; it can't last.

Fixtures and fittings

I think I am going to go for holes drilled through the lenses and joined with tiger tail 7-strand cable (nylon-coated stainless steel) fixed with crimps. Secured within a stainless steel frame at the top and bottom. So they'll move a little but won't chink against each other.

I gave my presentation [NB it's 12 Mb] to the group yesterday and got some useful feedback. But it wasn't as stimulating as I'd been hoping. I'd worked quite hard to get all my information ready and put it all into PowerPoint -- because that's the way I am used to doing these things -- but I wondered afterwards if it made me come across as too confident and therefore a bit off-putting in terms of feedback from my fellow students. In fact, I am just as uncertain as others who wear their hearts on their sleeves -- and for whom the rest of the class turned on the taps of encouragement to gushing levels, whereas I seemed to experience a weak trickle.

Today's classes

A very mixed day. Best bit was taking my pate de verre piece out of its mould. I rather like it. Then I made a mould for a pair of ampersands I am planning to lost-wax cast. I feel I must use the opportunity of being amongst casting people to learn how to do it, but in all honesty I didn't enjoy it. It's not my thing.

At Morley College, we had a demo on doing faces which I shall try out at home. I simply can't get on with the equipment there. But at lunch-time we had an inconclusive and not very fruitful conversation about my article in the Guild Newsletter. Wondered if I was nailing my colours to the wrong mast.

Alluding to the River Fleet

First go at doing a visualisation of what the reception area will look like with the glass river in place. You'll see less of it from the lifts, though, which is a pity. Not sure if I've said before -- the bend of the Fleet as it flows almost under the building has approximately this sort of a meander. Bit of poetic licence.

Currrent crop of goblets

Least worst trio of the ones I blew on Tuesday - 3 fell on the floor; one was complete rubbish and 1 is quite nice except that the foot cracked off (retrievable by 'cold fusing' a disk onto it). The point, though, is that I did have fun doing them and I did start to remember how to ride the bicycle.