Friday 21 January 2011

Warm Glass

I know I have absolutely failed in my aim to keep people up to date with what I am doing at Uni via this blog - I am sorry!  My only excuse is that I have been madly busy... of course... what did I expect?

Anyway, today I have finally managed to take the all important photographs of what I've been up to so I can bring you up to date. 

Kiln cast glass

We have been divided into groups and each group has spent 2 weeks in each of the 3 departments; glass, ceramics and jewellery/metalwork.  My first 2 weeks were spent in the glass department.  We mainly looked at casting glass and the various ways of making moulds for this - it's a pretty slow process!  Here are my cast pieces... they are still a bit rough around the edges and need a bit more smoothing and polishing up.  They don't have the lovely shiny surface you get with hot glass, the effect is more like sea glass - which of course is a favourite of mine!

Kiln cast glass

This piece was made from recycled broken pieces of blown glass - I carefully selected mostly clear pieces and just a few pieces with the odd flash of colour, and I'm really pleased with the effect I got.  I was worried that the colours might all mix together and give me a lump of brown glass...

This next piece was made by layering purple and then clear casting glass into the mould.

Kiln Cast Glass

These last pieces were made from smashed up window glass - a different effect entirely.

Kiln Cast Glass

I also got to have a go at sandblasting - that was great fun and the results much more immediate.

Sandblasting!

Sandblasting!

8 comments:

  1. Love the pebble effect coaster but the seafoam coloured [smashed up window glass] piece is my favourite - that's gorgeous! What fun :)) How on earth are you going to choose what to focus on? *boggles* xx

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  2. Wow, I like everything and am very jealous that you get to play with fascinating things. The top one reminds me of mixed colour effects with polymer clay - a few seconds too much kneading and you end up with sludge instead of a subtle marbled effect. I rather like the frosted surfaces on the glass. Well done.

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  3. I love the purple! And the sandblasting is just fabulous!

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  4. erm, can I just say - if you chose to do some sandblasting on say some glass coasters. I'd buy them. T'is mean of you to show me what's possible if you don't.... They are officially Objects of Desire.
    Toot

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  5. oh lovely, i like the first piece the bestest

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  6. Thanks everyone!

    Maiay - I don't knoooooow!

    Toot - comment noted! ;-)

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  7. Great post Helen. Really exciting pieces!

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Helen Smith, artist and maker in glass, print and stitch.

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