A Busy Few Weeks in the Studio: From Recovery to Creativity
Hello everyone!
It's been a whirlwind few weeks here at Sandgate Glass. I recently had a bout of pneumonia, which really knocked me about. I managed to stay out of the hospital by the skin of my teeth, promising to take it easy. Thankfully, I'm feeling much better now, though I still get a bit tired. Despite this, I've been busy creating new pieces and experimenting with new techniques that I'm excited to share with you.
The Rockpool Bowl Revisited
In my last blog post, A Week of Creativity: New Tools and Exciting Projects in Glass Art, I talked about the process of making the "blank" for my rockpool bowl. When it came out of the kiln, I found the result to be too... stiff. If that makes sense. So, I decided to add some extra glass and full fused it this time. The difference was incredible! The piece felt much more fluid and organic. After slumping it into a mold, I absolutely loved the final result. You can check it out in my shop here: Handcrafted Fused Glass Rockpool-Inspired Bowl - Coastal Home Decor - The British Craft House.
Falling in Love with Stained Glass
My main focus these past few weeks has been stained glass, and I am absolutely loving the process. I think my favorite part is foiling the pieces—it’s so relaxing! The soldering, on the other hand, is a bit less enjoyable. I’ve been banished to the garage for that task, complete with spiders! Despite this, my soldering skills are slowly improving, and I’m proud of how far I’ve come in such a short time.
One particular design has proven popular, and it’s a lot of fun to make. I also created a butterfly design this past week, which was quite a steep learning curve! I decided to keep this one for myself, and it now has pride of place in my front window. The design needs a bit of tweaking before it's perfect, but I’m hoping it will be ready to sell in a month or two.
A New Adventure: Mosaic Art
This Tuesday, I spent my time trying mosaics for the first time. Wow, was this fun! I have a lot (and I mean a lot!) of scrap glass, and I had a design in mind—my favorite meadow of flowers. I incorporated both the scrap glass and some fused glass dots into the design.
Along with glass (and beads and wool!), I collect houseplants. My latest addition has the most beautiful leaves, and I decided it deserved a special pot. I bought a terracotta pot and started cutting glass into irregular strips, gluing them to the pot. It was time-consuming but incredibly relaxing. I took advantage of the sunny weather and sat outside, playing with glass and glue, and getting into a sticky mess! The project isn’t finished yet—it needs more glass and then grouting—but it’s coming along nicely.
All in All, a Busy but Productive Few Weeks
Despite the health hiccup, it’s been a busy but productive few weeks. I’m thrilled with the new techniques I’ve learned and the pieces I’ve created. Thank you for your continued support and interest in my work. Stay tuned for more updates and new creations coming soon!