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Obituary: glass alchemist John Croucher

Glass chemist John Croucher

Grace Cochrane AM reviews the contribution to New Zealand – and global – contemporary studio glass of “probably one of the best coloured-glass chemists that the world has ever seen”.

The whole studio glass community is saddened to hear that glass artist and Gaffer Glass co-founder, John Croucher, passed away in his sleep on 18 September 2021.

A New Zealander, born in 1948, he established a world-wide reputation for making exceptional glass for studio glass-making.

The New Zealand Society for Artists in Glass (NZSAG) reports: ‘John had one of the greatest minds the glass world has seen and was a true gentleman. He touched the lives of so many glass artists here in New Zealand and around the world. His legacy will not be forgotten.’[1]

Studio glass in New Zealand evolved from the 1970s, when a number of practitioners set up workshops and offered work experience and facilities to others.

At an Ausglass conference in Canberra in 1993, John Croucher talked about his interest in making glass in those early years: “A friend and I who were working together in flat glass and neon in the mid-seventies had the brainwave one day that it must be possible to make glass from scratch … Neither of us had heard of the studio glass movement… Surely all one needed was a decent sized crucible thrown by one of the local potters, a recipe from somewhere (the Encyclopedia Britannica proved convenient) and lots of propane fired into an adapted pottery kiln … neither of us had seen glass being fashioned hot before, let alone the tools used, the furnaces, annealing ovens, mysterious things called glory holes, marvers and all the rest of the paraphernalia.”[2]

Writer, collector and historian Stuart Park confirms that “From this initial experimentation … John set up Sunbeam Glassworks in 1976. Formed as a loose co-op of several craft-workers, glass production included hot glass, flat glass and flameworking … Sunbeam was an important influence in NZ glass. It was also where John developed his interest in the chemistry of glass, the need for consistency in the composition of the raw material, and especially consistency of colour between different batches of glass … John’s considerable knowledge of the science of glass was an invaluable resource he willingly shared.”[3] Colleagues Garry Nash and Ann Robinson eventually left to develop successful art careers.

In 1990, John Croucher set up Giovanni Glass with John Leggott. He was becoming increasingly interested in glass manufacture and, in 1993, incorporated Gaffer Coloured Glass Ltd. in Auckland to make batch glass for others.

Gaffer Glass quickly became known for its wide range of colours in transparent and opal glasses for glass-blowing, provided as colour rods, chips and powders. By the early 2000s, the Gaffer Glass factory employed 12 people.

John Croucher’s coloured glass recipes were melted in a crucible: glass colours for blowing were hand-gathered and rolled into rods. A robot delivered hot balls of glass into moulds for the billets of casting glass, to be cut off by automated shears.

Their willingness to work with artists was significant; artists were able to discuss what they needed and order directly. Because there was no acknowledged ‘master glass’ that colour bar makers could tune their glasses to, Gaffer Glass offered a free testing service to measure a glassblower’s own clear glass against their standard. They then decided to formulate their own master glass in pelletised form. Australian glass artist Tom Rowney, commented, “At first Gaffer provided us with their basic batch recipe, and advised us as we prepared it, so that their colour rods would work with it. But now we can just buy the compatible master glass itself.” [4]

Gaffer Glass also offered to make a coloured lead crystal glass for Ann Robinson, who had moved from glass blowing to casting glass. They worked for a year to get it right. By 2004 they offered a range of 38 colours in lead crystal glass, in frit and billet form, compatible with a base glass that would withstand the special demands of lost-wax and investment plaster casting.

Gaffer Glass expanded from Auckland and set up distribution hubs in Melbourne, Seattle, Portsmouth and Tokyo. Then in 2018 it closed the factory in Auckland and moved it to Portland, Oregon, USA, merging with the company Northstar Glass, while still branded as Gaffer.

In 2021 the manufacture of Gaffer Glass was transferred to long-established company, Reichenbach, in Germany, with distribution worldwide through Olympic Color Rods in Seattle, where the products are still identified as Gaffer.[5]

But John Croucher did not stop researching! He wrote to me in 2020, ‘I’m amusing myself writing technical monographs on glass colour at home and in the course of which, while reading about the alchemists and the beginning of gold ruby, became interested in the paraphernalia of the alchemists. Luke, my son, and I, had a show of alembics, aludels and cucubitas at Masterworks last year.’[6]

Luke Jacomb followed his dad into the glass world and they both worked together at Luke’s Crystal Research Institute in 2021. Luke is reported as saying: “He has got his own office there and all these fancy machines and ways of testing glass and that sort of stuff. So we’re doing research on figuring out how to make different glasses that haven’t been made before … Lots of other artists around the world would agree that he’s probably one of the best coloured-glass chemists that the world has ever seen; he’s extremely talented at coming up with formulas for making glass … he’s like a conduit, to try to push these technologies into the art world.”[7]

John is included in several publications, wrote in the NZSAG New Zealand Glass Art book in 2010 [8], and spoke at many conferences.

There is no doubt that everyone who knew John Croucher will remember him with great respect and affection, for his generous contribution to studio glass.

Written by Grace Cochrane AM
Curator, crafts historian, author; NZ-born, living in Australia.
Much of this summary is adapted from previous publications: Grace Cochrane, ‘From Seat-of the pants to state-of-the-art’, in Margot Osborne (ed), Australian Glass Today, Wakefield Press, Adelaide, 2005; and ‘Gaffer Glass’, in Grace Cochrane (ed) Smart Works: design and the handmade, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney 2007.

References:
[1] Emma Camden, NZSAG President, https://www.facebook.com/NZSAG/
[2] John Croucher, ‘Necessity as the mother of invention’, Ausglass conference report, 1993
[3] Stuart Park, correspondence, September 2021
[4] Tom Rowney, Ruth Allen, interviews with author, 2004
[5] Olympic Color, at Glasscolor.com
[6] For details of exhibition, see: http://www.masterworksgallery.co.nz/artists1/glass/john-croucher-and-luke-jacomb/
[7] https://www.mindfood.com/article/meet-the-kiwi-glass-artists-making-their-mark-on-aotearoas-art-scene/
[8] John Croucher, ‘Understanding Glass: Technical perspectives’, in New Zealand Glass Art, Bateman Press, 2010

Image: Glass innovator John Croucher in the studio. Photo: Gaffer Glass, 2007.

Apply to sell your artworks at Heal’s

Glass vases designed by Lea Randebrock for Heal's

Iconic homewares brand Heal’s is seeking emerging designers who would like the chance to sell through its stores and online.

Supporting innovation has been at the heart of Heal’s for more than two centuries and, since 2004, the company’s Heal’s Discovers programme has provided a platform for pioneering designers to showcase their skills and creativity.

Between now and 22 October 2021, new designers working across any medium, from furniture design to home accessories, can send in details and images to be considered.

The callout is open to anyone from any discipline, with the in-house buying team working with the designers to bring their products to market and shine a light on their up-and-coming brand.

Sabina Miller, head buyer at Heal’s, comments, “The Heal’s Discovers programme has been running since 2004 and has been such a success. Over this time, we have been able to work alongside incredible design talent to bring new and interesting homewares to our discerning customers. So, if you’re new to design, or looking to take your brand to the next level, Heal’s would love to hear from you.”

Find out full details via this page on the Heal’s website.

Among the five designers being launched at Heal’s this season is Lea Randebrock, who has worked with the London Glass Company to develop unique vases made from offcuts of glass which are often thrown away. The bubbles seen within the vases, which are often seen as an error for glassmakers, have been made into a beautiful feature of the collection.

A communion with Nature

Glass artist Verity Pulford imbues her work with the spirituality she finds around her in the mountains, forests and meadows of North Wales. Her delicate glass art is inspired by the smallest details of organic structures, like algae, fungi, lichen, moss and ferns. Linda Banks finds out more.

What led you to start working with glass?

I have always loved making things and enjoyed Art in school, but I never really considered it would be my career. In my early 20s I travelled to Barbados and lived with an artist called Aziza. She encouraged my friend Sarah and me to draw and paint, and this started us on the journey that led us both to become artists.

I went to Art school and discovered glass, specialising in Architectural Glass on my degree. Glass as a material instantly intrigued and fascinated me. It is also such a challenging material. It takes courage, vision, hard work and dogged determination to work with it. So many failures! So many disappointments! Yet, when you make something that has that indescribable magic, there is no feeling like it. It is a love affair.

‘Study of Algae’ wall piece. Photo: Stephen Heaton.

What glass techniques have you used in your career and why do you have a preference for the methods you use today?

During my degree I was introduced to painting, screen-printing, etching, sandblasting, slumping and fusing. All of these are still part of my practice. My final show was a series of conceptual pieces, which told of secret moments in my life. There were boxes and drawers, which were underlit and had to be opened to reveal screen-printed vintage photographs, layered patterns and plant forms.

When I returned to glass, after teaching Art at a secondary school, I developed a more commercial body of work, using painted details and stencilled frits in fused float glass.

The ‘Gardens of the Mind’ installation. Photo: Verity Pulford.

In my more recent work, developed since working on my Arts Council of Wales grant-funded project, ‘Gardens of the Mind’, I have learnt and developed new techniques. One of these involves working with gravity in the kiln to shape vessels with more fluidity and an organic feel. I went on a masterclass at The Glass Hub and spent time with Amanda Simmons at her studio to learn the techniques. Then I developed my own interpretation of the method. I have also found a way of working with glass powders to create intricate and delicate shapes, which is leading me to exciting places.

Gravity-formed bowl. Photo: Stephen Heaton.

Following a scholarship at The Glass Foundry with Fiaz Elson I have also been incorporating cast glass into my work.

I like to combine different techniques and often spend a long time playing with the bits of glass I have made. It is almost like making a 3D collage.

Can you tell us something about how you developed your glass working methods? Do you draw your designs out or dive straight in with the materials?

I like to create ‘collections’ of objects. These are glass pieces that I make and combine with natural found objects, like dried seed pods, pieces of lichen and moss, flower heads, elements of vintage microscopic slides and handwritten labels. These collections feed into my other work and act like 3D sketches, as well as becoming pieces in their own right.

I also draw and paint quite a lot, normally using watercolours. These 2D explorations are never really designs, but more ways to play with colours and shapes, creating unique aesthetics by combining structures and forms, using tone and pattern. From here, I work through ideas mainly using glass. This means that I have a lot of seconds and things which get discarded, because it takes me a while to refine and achieve what I want. But this seems to be the only way I can move forward with a piece or technique.

‘Blue Algae’ gravity-formed bowls. Photo: Stephen Heaton.

What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?

It’s got to be my kiln, of course. I am lost without it and, if it’s ever out of action, I feel like half a person. I never tire of that early morning walk to the studio to see how a firing has gone. Any disappointments are simply lessons for the next firing. It’s a journey. I always want to push the limits of what I can make and test if ideas will work. Whether the work will sell or be well received has become less important to me; I just want to be on that journey of creating what comes from within me. And I love my sandblaster, my grinder and my Dremel too!

What message do you want to covey to your audience through your delicately patterned and intricate work?

I want to share the joy and wonder of nature – the spirituality it gives me. I feel awe when I look closely at a macro world of mosses and lichens, the beautiful patterns and textures of plants and trees, the dappled light on a forest floor. I have a feeling of expansion and lightness when walking through a summer meadow or the deep woods. This is what inspires me and leads me to make the work I do. I hope my work communicates some of this to the viewer.

Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?

My favourite piece is always my latest one; once I feel a piece is finished, it is my favourite for a while. It is like writing the perfect sentence which describes how you feel and communicates it simply and beautifully. It is that, but visually.

Detail of a window installation, inspired by Verity Pulford’s love of both Nature and the cataloguing of Nature.

Where do you show and sell your work?

I have several extremely supportive and loyal galleries, including The Bluecoat Display Centre in Liverpool, Ruthin Craft Centre and Craft in the Bay, which have been invaluable, especially during this latest making period. They have supported my grant applications and invited me to take part in residencies and exhibitions. I couldn’t have got this far without them. I also sell at other galleries and from my home studio.

Do you have a career highlight?

My times as artist in residence in health care settings have been truly inspirational. Specifically, I mean the honesty, strength, bravery, kindness and humour of people in difficult situations, plus the way art can be used as a medical tool – physically and mentally. Art and making are often seen as an ‘add-on’, a hobby, a luxury. However, to me as a maker, it is part of who I am. It enhances my life and gives me a tool for expressing what is inside me. It is a physical manifestation of my spirit.

These experiences confirm to me that, once people let go of their fear of failure, art can bring great joy and healing. Every group I have worked with demonstrates this and staff often say that they wish it were more integral. Art brings people together. It is a great leveller and encourages people to talk and open up about their lives, memories and fears. It engages, encourages use of affected limbs (as with stroke patients), gives satisfaction and pride, can give patients a new interest or help them rediscover a love of art, unpicks hidden emotions, and provides an alternative form of communication. It has made me believe even more deeply in the power of art.

Verity Pulford’s gravity-formed bowls reflect shapes from nature. Photo: Stephen Heaton.

Who or what inspires you?

Nature inspires me. I have always felt a deep connection to the natural world; it is vital to who I am. I live and work in an isolated, rural location, surrounded by wild and beautiful mountains, forests and meadows. I walk most days and being in nature gives me calmness and a feeling of belonging. It nourishes and inspires me. I have always loved plants and I am a keen gardener. The structures, the small details, the shapes, textures and colours, plus the magical abundance and diversity of life, all amaze me.

I am particularly fascinated by lichens, mosses, ferns and fungi. My work takes inspiration from these elements, but I also aim to capture the ethereal qualities I feel when I am in, and absorbing, nature – the spirituality and connection I feel, the magic.

How has the coronavirus impacted your practice?

It has been difficult because I have found it hard to assess the success of my new work because the galleries have been closed. Yet it has given me space to refine the work and time to meditate on my practice and really consider why I make and who it is for. I have concluded that I make for the pure pleasure of it. Expressing myself in a visual way satisfies me like nothing else.

I am letting go of the need for external validation. It is obviously wonderful if others like my work and selling work is essential, if I don’t want to drown in it! But this is not why I make and this strange couple of years has been a time where I have become more authentic about my purpose and my practice.

It has also given me time to start applying for competitions and other opportunities. I have been accepted by The Michelangelo Foundation’s Homo Faber Guide and Design Nation. In addition, I have been awarded a scholarship at The Glass Foundry to develop my cast work.

I am also excited to have been accepted into the Fuller Craft Museum’s ‘Glass Lifeforms’ exhibition in the USA, which is my first chance to show internationally. I am so grateful for all these opportunities, which will enrich my practice and my journey as a maker.

Verity Pulford assembling a window installation. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

About the artist

Verity Pulford is a glass artist living and working in rural North Wales.

She has created several public art commissions, including pieces at The Walton Centre, Liverpool, and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, North Wales.

Verity is a qualified teacher and has worked as artist in residence in schools and hospitals, developing workshops and creating collaborative artworks. She also teaches workshops from her home studio and Wernog Wood in Ruthin.

Her piece ‘Studies of Algae’ has been selected for ‘Glass Lifeforms’ at The Fuller Craft Museum, Massachusetts, USA, opening in November 2021.

Her latest exhibition ‘Gardens of The Mind’ is at Craft in the Bay, Cardiff, until 26 September 2021. A touring exhibition from Ruthin Craft Centre is due to move to The Biscuit Factory in late October 2021 and is on until January 2022.

Verity is a member of the Makers Guild in Wales.

Find out more via her website: https://www.veritypulford.com/

You can also watch a ‘Meet the Maker’ video here: https://youtu.be/6TKpb5hdbDY

Main feature image: Lichen studies detail from a triptych wall piece by Verity Pulford.

Opportunity to exhibit your glass in Wales

Makers Guild Wales is working in partnership with the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) to offer CGS members the opportunity to exhibit their contemporary glass work at the Craft in the Bay gallery, Cardiff.

The exhibition, entitled “Flow”, is open to all CGS members and will run from 2 April to 29 May 2022. Applications must show use of glass that expresses an individual interpretation of the word “flow”. This could take the form of the flow of glass itself, of ideas, of creativity, or of movement (e.g. physical in the making process, movement of material…).

The definition of the word “flow” is: ‘to move steadily and continuously in a current or stream’. A flow state, meanwhile, is described as: ‘being in the zone, a mental state in which a person performing an activity (such as making) is fully immersed, a feeling of hyper focus, intense, leading to a sense of ecstasy and clarity’.

Glass artists are invited to submit images of up to three pieces of work. There is no limit with scale, but artists will be responsible for the costs of delivery and return of work.

The Craft in the Bay gallery has vast windows, perfect for displaying glass to its best advantage. It can accommodate wall pieces, plinth-based, suspended and cabinet-based works.

This event is one of many taking place throughout 2022 to mark the 25th anniversary of the CGS. From humble beginnings, the Society has grown into a thriving and proactive organisation, supporting a membership of over 1,000 in the UK and overseas.

In addition, 2022 is the UN-designated International Year of Glass, so this is an opportunity to promote glorious glass to the world.

Location:  Makers Guild, Craft in the Bay, The Flourish, Lloyd George Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 4QH.

This is a selected show, open to all current CGS members. If you are not a member yet, you can join now here.

Download the full submission details and application form for Flow via this link. The submission deadline is 5pm (UK time) on Wednesday 10 November 2021.

Image: Craft in the Bay Gallery in Wales will play host to contemporary glass in 2022 exhibition.

LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize 2022 call for entries

Glass artists are among those working in the applied arts who are invited to apply for the fifth LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize. The competition is an international award celebrating excellence in craftsmanship.

The LOEWE FOUNDATION “seeks to recognise uniquely talented artisans whose artistic vision, technical skill and determination to innovate will set new standards for the future of craft”. It states: “By identifying work that reinterprets existing knowledge to make it relevant today, while reflecting its maker’s personal language and distinct hand, the LOEWE FOUNDATION aims to highlight the continuing contribution of craft to the culture of our time.”

Entries should: be original work, handmade or partly handmade; have been created in the last five years; be one-of a-kind; have won no prizes previously; demonstrate artistic intent.

The winning works will be featured in an exhibition and accompanying catalogue in Seoul, South Korea, in Spring 2022. The prize winner will receive 50,000 Euros.

An expert panel will review all entries and submit a shortlist of 30 finalists to a jury. The jury is composed of 13 leading figures from the world of design, architecture, journalism, criticism and museum curatorship, including Fanglu Lin, winner in 2021, who will select the winner of the 2022 Craft Prize.

Read the full entry requirements and apply via this link on the Foundation’s website (scroll down the page for the link to the rules).

Applications can be made until 25 October 2021.

The LOEWE FOUNDATION is a private cultural foundation based in Spain and established in 1988. It was launched by Enrique Loewe Lynch, a fourth-generation member of the LOEWE founding family. Under the direction of his daughter, Sheila Loewe, the Foundation continues to promote creativity, run educational programmes and safeguard heritage in the fields of poetry, dance, photography, art and craft. In 2002, the foundation was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts, which is the highest honour granted by the Spanish Government.

Image: Finalist entries from the 2021 LOEWE FOUNDATION Craft Prize.

CGS exhibiting opportunity for recent graduates

British and Irish glass graduates who finished their courses in 2020 and 2021 are invited to submit work for the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS) next online exhibition, entitled “Graduates’ Work – the Next Generation”.

The show will run from 11 October 2021-20 November 2021. Act now because the deadline to submit is Monday 4 October at 5pm (UK time).

This exhibition aims to show the ingenuity and breadth of work that the next generation of makers has achieved during a very difficult period caused by the coronavirus.

Due to Covid 19 and the disruption of course work last year, all students graduating from a British or Irish accredited course in 2020 and 2021 are eligible to enter this show.

Selection for the show will be via submitted images. We cannot guarantee all work will be accepted, but we aim to include as many as possible.

In order to be considered for this exhibition, please send an image and a completed form (download form via this link).

Image requirements: (maximum width 1000 pixels) correctly labelled: Last name, First name, Title of work, Photo credit.

Note: unnamed images will not be considered.

BSMGP Centenary touring exhibition starts at Ely

Stained glass panels

The British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP) is celebrating its centenary in 2021, with a touring exhibition of its members’ contemporary stained glass panels.

The panels have all been made especially for the organisation’s 100th year and are travelling to different venues across the UK from September 2021 through to August 2022.

Over 80 stained glass artists, from the UK and overseas, submitted work for the centenary exhibition. There was no limit on style or materials, resulting in a great variety of subjects and methods. Some artists entered more than one piece, taking the total to over 100. Of these, 60 panels have been chosen for the touring exhibition.

First venue on the tour is the Stained Glass Museum at Ely Cathedral, where the 30cm square panels are displayed in the south-west transept on the ground floor, adjacent to the museum entrance. The show is on from now until 31 October 2021. Opening times are Monday-Saturday: 10am-4pm, Sunday: 12.30pm-3.30pm. Admission is free.

The tour continues at Winchester Cathedral (2-25 November 2021), moving on to Wells Cathedral (23 May-6 June 2022), the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea (Spring 2022), then to the International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge (26-29 August 2022).

If you cannot visit in person, you can view the 110 panels submitted to the centenary exhibition online at the BSMGP website via this link. You can also read the artists’ statements about their inspiration for their stained glass pieces. Some of the artworks are for sale.

Obituary: Caroline Benyon FMGP (1948-2021)

The British Society of Master Glass Painters’ (BSMGP) long-standing Chairman, Caroline Benyon, died suddenly on 6 August 2021. Here BSMGP Vice-President Peter Cormack remembers her life and many achievements in the field of stained glass.

Caroline Margaret Benyon was born on 14 January 1948, the daughter of the artist Carl Edwards FMGP (1914-1985), who at the time was head designer of the Whitefriars stained glass firm.

Caroline attended the Convent of Marie Auxiliatrice in East Road Finchley, while also carrying out odd jobs in her father’s studio, established close to St Paul’s Cathedral in 1952.

In 1966 she enrolled at Hornsey College of Art to study silversmithing and design. She wanted to add an understanding of reflected light in three dimensions to her knowledge of transmitted light on glass.

Caroline left college in 1969, working for her father in the week and as a jeweller and silversmith in her free time.

In 1972 Carl Edwards relocated his studio to the Glass House in Fulham, which had been the studio of many women suffragist artists with whom Caroline strongly identified. While continuing to work for her father Caroline also cut glass for Moira Forsyth, in the studio that she once shared with Wilhelmina Geddes.

She married Tony Benyon in 1973, having met him at Hornsey College in 1966.

Over the next 15 years she developed her skills as a glazier, glass painter and designer. She made domestic stained glass for clients including the actor Michael Caine and the novelist Richard Adams.

Her father’s Great West Window, in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral – which was mostly painted by Caroline – was dedicated in 1979. At that time the American stained glass artist Rowan LeCompte commissioned Carl to make one of his designs for Washington Cathedral. Carl gave the job to Caroline and LeCompte presented her with a postcard-sized copy of his design and a tiny image of his work saying, ‘that’s how I paint, have fun’.

Carl Edwards died in 1985 and Caroline and Tony began working together full-time, restoring 19th century stained glass, as well as designing and making new windows. In 1992 they established their own purpose-built studio in Hampton-on-Thames.

Caroline’s first significant ecclesiastical commission was for the West Window of St Andrew’s Church, Romford, in 1993.

Her many commissions include the large West window for Edenbridge, Kent, and windows for St Albans Cathedral and the Temple Church in London, plus the OBE Centenary Window in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral (2017).

She was also an experienced heraldic designer, with three Field Marshal memorial windows in Sandhurst Chapel, plus armorial panels in Lincoln’s Inn Chapel and several City Livery companies.

Covid and problems with her eyesight interrupted her work, but these issues were resolved. Ironically, the last stained glass she made was this year, for the Apothecaries Hall, where her career began.

Worshipful Company of Glaziers

Caroline was also active at the Worshipful Company of Glaziers, joining in 1985. She sat on the Court for many years, chaired the Glaziers’ Trust, was vice-chairman of the Crafts and Competitions Committee and was involved in many initiatives that supported the craft.

British Society of Master Glass Painters

She joined the BSMGP in the 1970s and soon became a member of the Council. She was elected Chairman in 2000, when she was most active as a designer and craftswoman.

For over 20 years she strove to make the Society a friendly home for all those with a passion for stained glass, whether practitioners, conservators, historians, or enthusiasts. She oversaw significant conferences, exhibitions, the redevelopment of The Journal of Stained Glass, the creation of the current BSMGP website and social media, and much else to promote stained glass.

She will also be remembered for her meticulous planning of the BSMGP annual touring weekend conferences, which she made such engaging and informative experiences. Her commitment to stained glass, often in adversity, and the passion and commitment she gave to craftsmen and the craft she cared about so profoundly, will be her legacy.

Written by Peter Cormack MBE FSA HonFMGP, Vice-President, BSMGP.

Image: Caroline Benyon at work on a heraldic piece. Reproduced with permission from the BSMGP.

Donations in memory of Caroline Benyon can be made to the BSMGP Trust, which supports the charitable arm of the Society, by emailing secretary@bsmgp.org.uk

Art auction to save Bild-Werk Frauenau

Germany’s Bild-Werk Frauenau, a centre for art, culture and glass creativity, is holding a benefit auction of glass, ceramics, sculpture, print and painting on 3 October 2021.

The event is being held to raise funds to secure the survival of Bild-Werk Frauenau and the 96 objects offered in the auction have been donated by international artists.

The organisation states: “Our financial position after two Covid summers is desperate. So we invite you to view the exciting artworks for sale, and hope that you will buy wonderful new works that will grace your home, your business, or perhaps make a good gift!”

Artists, teachers and teaching assistants have contributed artworks for sale. The works come from all the different studios at Bild-Werk, including glass, painting, printmaking, ceramics and sculpture.

Many pieces have been made cooperatively by Bild-Werk teachers from different disciplines during academy sessions.

Bild-Werk has always represented UK glass artists and they are strongly reflected in the auction. The 10 UK artists, represented by 16 objects, are: Max Jacquard (kiln casting); Mark Angus (stained glass – British but living in Germany); Jazmin Velasco-Moore (wood print); Amber Hiscot (stained glass artist – watercolour); Emma Baker (blown glass); James Maskrey (blown glass); Juli Bolaños-Durman (assembled glass) Anne Petters (German living in UK – pate-de-verre) and Sue Woolhouse (blown graal), with Catharine Coleman (engraving) making a donation.

Those who attend the auction in person (starts at 2pm on Sunday 3 October 2021) will be greeted with Bild-Werk razzmatazz and will be able to meet many of the artists, as well as having the chance to bid for objects.

Those unable to attend can make written bids for their favourite pieces. The Bild-Werk team is available to help anyone who wants to bid in this way. The full catalogue, with images and details of the 96 works available, plus the bidding form, can be viewed online via this link: https://www.bildwerkfrauenau.de/benefit-auction-2021.html

Bild-Werk will celebrate 35 years in 2022, and the organisers hope to continue to offer innovative courses via creative academies for years to come.

Find out more about Bild-Werk Frauenau here: https://www.bildwerkfrauenau.de/home.html

Lives frozen in time

Glass artist Stephanie Trenchard captures the essence of women artists from history in her striking glass designs, which are formed using sculpting, enamelling and sand casting. Linda Banks finds out more.

You are a painter by training and also a glass artist. What led you to start working with glass?

I pretty much married into glass. I had taken two classes with Joel Meyers as an undergraduate at Illinois State University. But it wasn’t until 1997, when we moved to Wisconsin to build a hot shop for my husband Jeremy Popelka, that it became clear that I, too, would be working with the magic medium. It would be easier to support a studio with two artists using the material.

What glass techniques have you used in your career and why do you have a preference for combining sculpture, painting and sand casting today?

I really like the miracles the happen with the glass while sculpting, when I begin to see a figure or a face looking back at me or an object that comes to life.

Painting on glass is also very important to my work. Narrative storytelling is what much of my work is based on.

I also do some decorative work with painting on blown glass that is fired or gathered over, some hi-fire and some low-fire.

I have recently begun to work with large blown figures that I paint with low-fire paint, and then reassemble hot. I like to experiment with different ways to use hand painting in glass art.

‘Hatted Woman’ (2021). Assembled blown and enamelled glass. Photo: Jeremy Popelka.

Can you tell us something about your methods? Do you draw your designs out or dive straight in with the materials?

I always start with a drawing, which I make as detailed as possible. When I create figures, it’s the posture and the details, like the way different fabrics fall, or a style of hat, that tell the story of the character. I also need to know that the object I sculpt will fit into the mould that I am intending to use, which is often the most challenging part.

You share a studio with your husband, accomplished glass artist Jeremy Popelka. What are the pros and cons of working together? 

Hahaha! I’ll just say that there are definite pros and cons. We have been together for over 35 years. He is extremely supportive of my career and my work and he is always on the lookout for a new and exciting way for us to connect with the greater glass art community. We are very lucky in that we share our passion and responsibility for our business and careers.

You have taught your skills to many students over the years, even establishing the Bangkok Glass Studio in Thailand in 2017. How did that project come about?

I think glass is really special in that it brings people together in such a dynamic and immediate way in the milieu of the hot shop. We both love teaching and know that we always get so much more out of the experience that we can ever imagine. I have made great friends and associates through teaching and I wouldn’t give that up for anything.

Thailand was very exciting. We got an email in our Junk mail, which we just happened to stumble on, that was an invitation to come to Thailand and start a glass academy. At first we thought it was some sort of phishing, but we soon realised that it was not only sincere, but a marvellous opportunity. Two of our students there have since gone to Corning Museum of Glass to take classes. The Thai programme continues to thrive and we look forward to seeing our friends there again.

What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?

I love my crimps and I have some medical tweezers that I use to take my stencils out of the sand that I would miss dearly. I love my casting shears. This is a tough question for me because I develop unnatural attachments to objects, especially tools. I am also really partial to palette knives for mixing my paints.

Your figurative art has a narrative quality. What message do you want to covey to your audience through your glass work?

Much of the work I do is about women artists from art history. I was dumbfounded at the lack of women represented in the art history texts back in the 1980s when I was in college. I am always cognoscente of the canon and how women and minorities are excluded.

I also like to make work that looks at the ephemera and material culture of the past and links together a poetic story. For instance, I made a piece about Virginia Woolf and her sister, Vanessa Bell, looking at each other while asking themselves, “What if I had made the choices she made?” One had a rich, full home life with lots of activity and people, the other had a life of much solitude and quiet. The former was not quite as well known, while the latter became massively famous for her work. What were the trade-offs?

With a curiosity about women artists’ experiences, and how they have navigated motherhood, I have created pieces about Louise Bourgeois, Louise Nevelson and Alice Neel, to name a few. Selfishly, I wanted to know how it was possible. Unfortunately, it was very difficult for many women, and these are the stories that I am interested in.

Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?

My favourite is always the one I am currently working on. I have just finished a commission for the Museum of Wisconsin Art, based on the life of the artist Ruth Grotenrath. I added extra floral elements into the casting which led to interesting dynamics in the glass.

‘Ruth’s Red Table, After Ruth Grotenrath’ (2021) . Assembled sand-cast glass with glass inclusions. Photo: Jeremy Popelka.

Where do you show and sell your work?

My work is at some wonderful US venues, including Habatat Gallery, Raven Gallery, Pieces, Tory Folliard Gallery and Edgewood Orchard Gallery. We also have a small gallery in our hot shop.

Do you have a career highlight?

That’s a tough question, because it has all been pretty miraculous to me. But if I had to choose just a few things, I would include my opportunity to give a keynote speech at the Glass Art Society meeting in Venice in 2018, and being a visiting artist at Corning Museum of Glass, in the Amphitheatre Hot Shop. Both events were really spectacular.

Recently we also offered an artist residency in our sturdio to Jaime Guerro, which was a magical experience for all of us. It felt like college again, so that was definitely a career highlight this year.

Who or what inspires you?

Stories and more stories. I love to read history and literature and learn about how people have lived and what they have done, especially women artists, wives of artists and patrons of the arts. I’m always looking for a poetic link to an aspect of these stories that interests me and is novel.

How has the coronavirus impacted your practice?

During 2020 we spent a lot of time building our new furnace, designed by HUB glass. I now know that my enamels do best when cast at 2175 F. I painted a lot of oil paintings and I focused on creative writing, mostly poetry, which I find very rewarding. We also started a small, local gallery that highlights the work of underrepresented artists in our community. We were pretty busy and, luckily, very healthy.

I am also very thankful to my wonderful assistant Chelsea Littman, who has been with us for over four years and helped me make all sorts of new, challenging work.

Read more about Stephanie Trenchard and her work via her website.

Main feature image: ‘5 Coated Women on the Precipice’ (2020). Sand-cast glass with painted inclusions. Photo: Jeremy Popelka.