Mandy has always been passionate about the arts and specialises in home décor, personalised gifts and jewellery with a particular interest in combining techniques and exploring texture with the aim to showcase her work at exhibitions and galleries. Sharing the joy of glass fusing with fellow glass artists and the community. Each piece is finished by hand up to the point before the firing takes place…the outcome is sometimes unexpected as the glass melts. Sometimes two or three firings are required.
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Currently working on our 2nd year student exhibition ‘Dry Run’ at the Shipley Gallery in Gateshead, 24th May.
“I draw inspiration from keen observation, creative exploration, and boundless imagination. I endeavour to capture nature’s ever-changing beauty by infusing form and composition with a rich colour palette. I create scenes that are both representational and from my imagination. Given Dartmoor’s vastness and its diverse seasonal and weather variations, there’s a joy in creating these imagined places, which could feasibly exist in a fleeting moment, and naming each pendant brings them to life. “
My work this year has been predominantly mixed media ceramic sculptures with cast glass additions, but after a work placement recently with Angela Jarman at her studio I am looking forward to experimenting with more cast glass sculptural pieces.
During the last year I have discovered the joys and frustrations of working with glass. I am trying to combine both porcelain and glass to create sculptural pieces that capture both the strength and fragility of birds. I have been experimenting with how to adapt fused and pate de verre methods of working in a quest to create the perfect glass feather!
Jo works with various kiln formed glass processes, casting, fusing and bending glass into hand made moulds. She has worked on large scale commissions for commercial and private clients. Her personal work is inspired by the landscape and geological features around her, coastal areas, lakes and fells where she is often found swimming and running amongst them.
I began using domestic clear glass, then worked with glass blowers in cameo, graal and flashed glasses. Fusing opened new opportunities that I am still exploring. I’m leaning towards sculptures mixing glass with other materials as frames for flat panels in clear and thicker flash glass.
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‘I love working with glass and enjoy the unpredictable nature of the stained glass process. I often start with an idea or sketch which I then turn into a pattern. I like using the Tiffany Technique of applying copper foil to emphasise delicate areas of my design and I combine this with the more traditional technique of lead work to add focus and strength.
I use reclaimed or scrap glass whenever I can as I love the thought of breathing new life into something which has been discarded by another. There’s nothing better than opening a box of scrap glass to see what treasures are lurking inside! The mishmash of colours, textures and transparency encourages me to experiment with different combinations of glass in my designs.
My favourite part of making stained glass is at the end when I add patina, etching and polish. That’s when it really comes to life!’