The winners of beautiful glass artworks have been drawn in the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS) latest fundraising raffle.
The raffle raised just over £1,500 which will help CGS fund some of the many exciting events scheduled for 2022 in our 25th anniversary year. Pam and Sue thank everyone who bought a ticket.
Special thank yous also go to the many glass artists who donated work as prizes. These are David Reekie, Peter Layton, Gillies Jones and Alan J Poole. A further eight prizes were donated from previous shows by Aneta Glowacka, Jacque Pavlosky, Linda Norris, David Frazer, Janet Wheeler, Dr Linda Smith, Myra Wishart and Paul Mellor, so thanks are extended to them too.
The prize winners are: Judy Menges (2 prizes); Mark Holford; Annette Sharkey; Anna Popkin; Stewart Hearn; Leigh Baildham; Bernadette Blair; Peter Fricker; Jane Mason; Rachel Craig and Isobel Brunsdon.
Image: Some of the prizes (left to right): ‘Thrower VI’ by David Reekie; detail of a signed sketch on a napkin by Dale Chihuly (16 x 15cm); ‘Turquoise Glacier’ by Peter Layton.
Detail of painted stained glass panel by Grace Ayson.
The latest application round for financial support from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is open now. If you need help to fund a course or expand your abilities in a new glass direction, why not tell QEST about your plans and see if they are willing to assist?
QEST awards scholarship and apprenticeship funding of up to £18,000 to talented and aspiring craftspeople working in a broad range of traditional and contemporary skills, including glass.
The current application round is open now until 16 August 2021.
Since it was founded in 1990, QEST has awarded over £5 million to 625 individuals working in over 130 different crafts. Many of these have been glass artists. Read about some of the previous glass artists who have benefitted from QEST funding in this recent Glass Network digitalfeature article.
Details on how to apply are provided on the QEST website: www.qest.org.uk.
Interested makers can also attend a Zoom ‘How To’ session to find out more about the application process and gain helpful tips on filling out the application forms. Glass artists can apply for either a scholarship or an apprenticeship. Sign up for ‘How To Apply For A QEST Scholarship’ on Wednesday 4 August, 4-5pm here. Or sign up for ‘ How To Apply For A QEST Apprenticeship’ on Tuesday 20 July, 4-5pm here.
If you aren’t ready to apply now, look out for the next application round, which will open in January 2022.
Image: Stained glass by Grace Ayson, one of several glass artists and conservators who received QEST funding in 2020.
Two years of hard work to make their glass practice as environment friendly as possible have paid off for glass artists Lynden Over and Christine Robb, who run Lava Glass in New Zealand. Their glassblowing studio has achieved carbon neutral certification and claims to be the first glassblowing studio in the world to have done so.
As many glass artists are aware, the act of turning sand into glass takes an incredible amount of heat. A furnace containing molten glass roars 24 hours a day, and a second furnace must be fired up to keep the molten glass moving. Reducing the environmental impact of a glass studio is, therefore, not an easy task.
However, the two artists were determined to do as much as they could.
“I wasn’t prepared to continue as a glass artist if I couldn’t do it in a sustainable way,” explains Lynden Over. “It has been a rewarding journey to convert the studio to carbon zero status and know that I am able to look after the planet while following my passion.”
In order to reduce their carbon footprint, and to sequester some of the carbon released in the making of their artworks, they converted their gas furnace to an electric one and used clean, green electricity to run it. They also changed over to electric cars.
For the carbon sequestration programme, they planted 100 hectares of pine trees and 25 hectares of New Zealand native trees. The native tree planting is part of an environmental benefit programme, which links pathways of native bush, creating wildlife corridors.
Waste reduction has also been a focus and in 2021 they have diverted 67% of Lava Glass waste away from landfill.
Because Lynden’s work is inspired by the rugged New Zealand landscapes, the couple felt it was important to be mindful of that environment.
Lava Glass’s carbon emissions are measured via independent auditing by Toitū Envirocare. This year, they had to offset 90.14 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent).
The next task is to drastically reduce these carbon emissions. They have developed a Greenhouse Gas emissions management plan with Toitū Envirocare, and have set reduction targets for the coming years.
Lynden and Christine are going the extra mile for sustainability and see their internationally-recognised Toitū carbon zero certification as an effective way to reduce their environmental impact. They strive to be at the forefront of environmentally-aware art making at Lava Glass.
Lava Glass is based in Taupo, New Zealand. It comprises a glass art gallery, glassblowing studio, glass sculpture garden and café. It was founded in 2002 and, over the years, Lynden has created an original range of collectable glassware and many award-winning works.
Talented artist Sue Burne began her journey in glass engraving 20 years ago, with a simple kit. Here she explains how her talent has evolved and why she is still hooked on this technique today.
Unexpected things can change your life! In 2001 my husband gave me a basic Proxxon glass engraving kit for my birthday and almost immediately I realised I had found ‘my thing’. I’ve always been involved in a variety of arts and crafts, but glass engraving really caught my imagination.
I began scratching on cheap bits of glass, but realised I wasn’t getting the effects I wanted. In fact, I was amused a while ago to spot a tiny engraving at a large second-hand emporium near Dorchester in Dorset. It looked very amateurish but quite pretty. Turning it upside down, I recognised my own signature and realised it must have been one of my very first pieces. It was only 50p, so I bought it to remind me of just how far my journey in glass engraving has taken me!
That early piece would have been done when I first started engraving, and definitely before I joined the Guild of Glass Engravers (GGE). In the early days I became frustrated because my work looked scratchy and was nothing like the beautiful pieces I saw online. I knew I needed to learn how to engrave properly and, by joining the Guild as a Lay Member, I was immediately in a community of like-minded people. The members of the South West Branch were welcoming and rapidly became good friends.
A detail of Sue Burne’s piece ‘Spirals’.
It was the 3D illusions of intaglio engraving that really intrigued me. I desperately wanted to learn how that was done. Through the GGE’s mentoring scheme, plus the constructive criticism and encouragement of others, I began to find my own style. Within a few years I had achieved Craft Membership of the Guild and later I was awarded an Associate Fellowship. For nearly 10 years I was on the GGE Council, and took my turn as the Chair for three years. I have also been a long-term Craft Member of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen.
I joined the Contemporary Glass Society a few years ago to gain a broader insight into glass and to get to know more people who love glass in all its forms. Before lockdown, I enjoyed meeting up with other members.
This piece ‘Feathers’ was found in a charity shop with a damaged edge. Sue added the feathers to disguise all the damage. When it was posted online, the original was recognised as made by Ed Kachurik (a renowned maker working in Pennsylvania, USA), who has seen it and approves of it being given new life.
When members of the public ask me what I do, they often look a bit blank when I say I’m a glass engraver. I am asked if I make the glass, too, but this wouldn’t be practical for me. I tried a little bit of glass blowing once and the poor little bubble I created was a sorry thing! I’d need another lifetime to get good enough to make my own glass blanks. I really appreciate the skills of the glassblowers I commission to create pieces for me, especially when I need very specific coloured layered glass to fit my ideas. When I do engravings on unique pieces of glass, I always considerate it a collaboration.
Sue Burne at work engraving panels for the Sower window, Clapham Church, Bedford, which is shown in the main feature image. Photo by Mike Price.
The public often thinks engraving only means doing inscriptions on presentation awards. This can be a part of what some of us do, and I get asked to do lettering commissions because I can do calligraphy, but it is only a small fraction of what I produce.
‘Beauty is a flame’ combines calligraphy with delicate, engraved moth forms.
When I am stewarding at engraving exhibitions, it’s gratifying to see the look of wonder as visitors suddenly realise how dramatic or beautiful engraving can be.
This piece, ‘Scheherazade’, celebrates the Persian queen who is the storyteller in ‘One Thousand and One Nights’. Sue’s work is often inspired by fables and legends.
I would not normally buy a piece of studio glass to engrave, because that is complete as its maker designed it. Any engraving on a piece of glass should look as if it belongs there. The best pieces of engraved glass appear as if the engraving was always meant to be. However, I have rescued some damaged or scratched second-hand pieces and given them a new life.
I am fortunate to live in Somerset, where I have a lot of family history. I feel as if I belong here, both at home on the Somerset Levels (an area of fascinating wetlands) and by the sea on the west Somerset coast, where I have a holiday home. I spent my teens in Lyme Regis ,in Dorset, which I also loved, and which was quite a contrast to Portsmouth, where I was born, and London, where I was a student. I am a country girl at heart.
‘Ghosts of Summer’ shows Sue’s interpretation of nature.
Imagery on my work frequently reflects the natural world. I prefer to use fresh plant material as a reference, if possible, though this is not always available. I also use myths and legends in my work; Somerset is full of those. Glastonbury is not far away, and the famous Tor rises out of the autumnal mist in sight of my village. Visits to other countries have inspired some pieces I have engraved, too.
My work is usually very intricate, and I love doing complicated-looking patterns on my pieces. I weave imagery from stories around the glass or I create designs like mandalas and snowflakes that create intriguing reflections within pieces of optical crystal.
When using multiple images or motifs on a piece, they must form a cohesive whole. I aim to find ways to link them all. This is especially important when using photographic references. A finished piece should reflect me and my style and not be simply a copy of something. A lot of research can go into one of my legend pieces. I do a large storyboard full of imagery I find in books and on the Internet, and I also collect patterns and abstract design motifs. I do some life drawing if necessary and then use all I have collected to inspire my own finished piece. Thinking about, and planning, a piece can take a lot longer than engraving it.
Some of what I do is for commissions, and they can be fun when trying to blend the client’s ideas with my own thoughts. My favourite thing, though, is selling in galleries and exhibitions. It is very gratifying if someone likes a piece enough to buy it just as I have made it.
‘Rockpool’ began life as a badly scratched Dartington Pebble series bowl. Sue had to engrave all over it to cover the scratches. Then her daughter and son-in-law asked to have it as a wedding present.
My work is normally on display in Somerset at the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen Gallery in Wells, and the gallery at Yandles in Martock. From time to time, I am a guest exhibitor in various other galleries around the UK and have also exhibited at Johansfors in Sweden. My work is in private collections around the world, as well as the UK, plus there are larger installation pieces in some churches and public and domestic buildings.
See my work this month at the Fine Foundation Gallery at Durlston Country Park and Nature Reserve, Swanage, Dorset, where I am exhibiting with the GGE. The event is on from Monday 12 July to Sunday 25 July 2021, from 10.30am to 5pm daily.
Three floors of contemporary glass artworks await visitors to Belgium’s GlazenHuis gallery and glass studio this summer.
The lower floor of the iconic, 30m high glass-towered building houses the work of the BKRK craftsmanship award nominees. The ground floor is dedicated to Shoerealism, an exhibition of fantastic glass shoe designs, by Japanese artist Simsa Cho. The top floor features The Residents – glass made by artists who have used the GlazenHuis facilities to create new work.
The glass cone at the GlazenHuis makes a bold centrepiece to the Summer Exhibition. Photo copyright: GlazenHuis.
BKRK award nominees
The BKRK award is an established competition that puts a different craft in the spotlight each time. The latest iteration focuses on glass and the GlazenHuis partnered with the organisers to support the 10 nominated artists. It provided them with expertise and practical help to realise their ideas in the glass workshop, with resident master glassblower, Gert Bullée, on hand to assist.
In the BKRK exhibition, glass craft, visual arts and product design meet. Room dividers, lighting fixtures, carafes, jewellery and paintings all vie for first place. Every visitor can vote for their favourite. The public votes, along with those of a professional jury, will decide the winner. For anyone who cannot visit in person, you can see the entries and vote via this link. The winner will be announced on 14 October 2021.
Shoerealism exhibition
The Shoerealism exhibition features many amazing shoes created by Japanese artist Simsa Cho, who is based in Amsterdam, and graduated from the Dutch Gerrit Rietveld Academy in 1989.
Over the course of his 30-year career, the shoe has become a recurring theme for Cho. GlazenHuis is the first museum to present a retrospective: more than 30 objects from private and museum collections, including three from the city of Lommel’s urban glass art collection, showcasing glass shoes.
To mark the exhibition, Cho has created a special limited edition of only 10 pieces of a new shoe design, which are for sale in the glass shop.
For those who cannot visit in person, watch this video, in which Cho tours the exhibition and explains the story behind his shoes. If you can visit, the Shoerealism exhibition is on until 10 October 2021.
The Residents exhibition
In normal times, the GlazenHuis organises annual residencies (AiR – Artists in Residence) for international glass artists to develop knowledge and use the studio facilities. In return, they donate one of their creations to Lommel’s urban glass art collection. However, this year, restrictions because of the pandemic meant GlazenHuis staff and local freelance glassblowers were able to take advantage of the residency period instead. See the work of these artists/designers on the top floor: Jente Ruts, Marcel Haccuria, Jeroen Maes, Eric Pipien, Ingrid Arts, Ivo Henkens, Ryoko Sato, An-Valerie Vandromme, and Eline Deboiserie.
This exhibition also runs until 10 October 2021. Please check the website for the latest rules for visitors, as you may have to book a space in advance via a telephone appointment.
If you are a member of the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS), you can submit your work to our regular exhibitions. Most of these are showing online currently, showcasing glass art to an international audience.
These events are a great way to gain visibility for your glass art. Some CGS exhibitions also allow you to offer the piece for sale.
Old Work/New Perspective
On now is the online glass exhibition, ‘Old Work/New Perspective’, wherein glass artists and designers have the chance to rediscover and display older work. Each piece is at least two years old. Almost 50 CGS members are taking part in this show, which highlights the diversity of talent and skill across the glass community.
View the pieces and read about each artist’s vision for the artworks via this link. Some pieces are for sale. This exhibition runs until 21 July 2021.
Summer Sunshine
If you missed out on this opportunity, why not submit an entry for the next exhibition? This will be a selected show on the theme ‘Summer Sunshine’. Let your imagination flow and create an artwork that celebrates the joy and vibrancy of the season. The submission window is open now (log in via your Member page on the website). The deadline is 12 July.
Summer Sunshine will be live on the CGS website from 26 July until 25 August 2021. Some of the successful artists will be online to introduce their work to other CGS members on Saturday 31 July. The log-in details will be emailed to members via the newsletter.
Animal Magic
If you can’t submit to Summer Sunshine, make a note of the following CGS online exhibition, ‘Animal Magic’, which will be open to all members and not a selected show. All creatures great and small will be welcome for this exhibition – including birds.
The deadline for ‘Animal Magic is 16 August 2021. Entries can be uploaded from 14 July until the closing date. The exhibition will be live online from 1 September until 10 October 2021.
Again, there will be the opportunity to meet the artists behind the artworks on Saturday 4 September 2021.
CGS turns 25 in 2022
The CGS celebrates its Silver Jubilee in 2022. There will be many events throughout the year as we mark 25 years of supporting studio glass makers. To kick things off, in January 2022 we are working with the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. For this exhibition, we will be looking for up to 20 CGS members to show all the amazing methods used by glass artists. The title is ‘It’s all in the Technique’. Look out for more details in due course.
If you are not yet a member, why not join today and become a part of our friendly glass community?
One thing is certain – 2022 will be a bumper year for glass and the CGS!
Image: ‘Jumping for Joy’ by Dominic Fonde. Currently showing in ‘Old Work/New Perspective’ exhibition. Photo: Yasutaka Akane.
After it was postponed in 2020, the popular AppArt art exhibition and sculpture trail is back on track in 2021 and takes place from 10-25 July in Godalming, Surrey.
This annual event has built a solid following of interior designers and art enthusiasts over the years. It comprises an indoor display of artworks, sculptures and paintings in a variety of media and styles, with an outdoor sculpture trail laid out throughout the Gertrude Jekyll-inspired gardens.
Among the nearly 300 artists taking part are several glass artists, whose work covers a variety of skills, including blown glass, fused glass, stained glass and mixed media. Glass art will feature both indoors and outdoors and there will be some impressive work from Adam Aaronson, Linda Banks, Juliet Derwent, Sami El-Dahshan, Julie Noles and Joe Szabo.
AppArt is held at Prior’s Field School, which itself is worth visiting for its Arts and Crafts Movement architecture. The school provides a fitting backdrop to all the artworks, having been designed by the revered architect, Charles Francis Annesley Voysey. The building was completed in 1900 and the gardens he laid out were planted in a sympathetic, Gertrude Jeykell style by the owners, Julia and Leonard Huxley. Julia opened the building as a Prior’s Field School in 1902.
In all, there are 750 artworks to see. Organiser and curator, Evelyn Phillips, is a respected and established interior designer and her trained eye ensures all the artworks selected are of the best quality, with something to suit every taste and interior space.
The AppArt Exhibition and Sculpture trail is open every day from 10am to 4pm from Saturday 10 July to Sunday 25 July, at Prior’s Field School, Priorsfield Road, Godalming, Surrey GU7 2RH. Admission is free. It is advisable to book free tickets for the Opening Day. They can be obtained via Eventbrite here.
Numbers will be restricted in the indoor exhibition. Masks will need to be worn and social distancing maintained. There will be no restrictions outside, but visitors are requested to maintain social distancing.
Glass master and founder of London Glassblowing, Peter Layton celebrated his 84th birthday in June 2021 and marks the occasion with the opening of The London Glassblowing Summer Show.
The exhibition runs until 17 July 2021 and features an illuminating and eclectic array of works by artists that the gallery has represented over the past decade.
There is new work from Amanda Simmons, Colin Reid, Jan-Joop Ruisch, Lola Lazaro Hinks and Peter Layton himself. Their work will be shown alongside pieces by Sue Tinkler, Cathryn Shilling, Bruno Romanelli, David Reekie, Tim Rawlinson, Alison Lowry, Bruce Marks, Elliot Walker, Enemark & Thompson, Hanne Enemark, Jochen Ott, Joseph Harrington, Karen Browning, Laura McKinley, Layne Rowe, Lola Lazaro Hinks, Louis Thompson, Sophie Thomas, Morag Reekie, Morten Klitgaard, Nick Mount, Nina Casson McGarva, Olga Alianova, and Sarah Wiberley.
In addition, the gallery has exclusive limited editions of ‘Threads’ by Netflix’s ‘Blown Away 2’ winner, Elliot Walker. Earlier in the year Elliot was set a challenge at the gallery to create a sculpture in response to the hard work of the NHS during the pandemic (watch it here). He created a very large, intricate spool and limited editions are available at London Glassblowing in three colours.
Visitors can view all the works in person at London Glassblowing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 10am to 5pm. There is free parking and there are lots of places to eat nearby.
Alternatively, why not explore the exhibition virtually via the website here?
London Glassblowing is located at 62-66 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UD.
For over 30 years the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) has funded craftspeople across the UK with grants for further training. Glass Network digital finds out how this support has helped glass artists develop their practice.
Are you a glass artist who would like to expand your skills with additional training or an apprenticeship? Is there a college course, vocational training, or one-to-one mentoring that would help you to develop personally, while at the same time keeping Britain’s long heritage in craft alive?
Twice a year, the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) invites practising artists and craftspeople to expand their knowledge through its grant scheme. In fact, since it launched in 1990, QEST has awarded £5 million to over 600 individuals working across the UK in 130 different crafts.
Next month (July 2021), QEST will open for the next round of applications, enabling glass artists to put their case for funds to broaden their talent with training and education.
While applicants can apply for up to £18,000 for their proposals, QEST looks to provide support that goes beyond the money, through publicising scholars’ work and offering participation in events that showcase their skills.
What is needed for a successful application? There are tips provided on the QEST website for those applying for scholarships and apprenticeships. Applicants need to be able to demonstrate excellence in, and a strong commitment to, their craft, as well as having a clear idea about how the training will advance their practice.
Although QEST can support transport, and other associated costs, the majority of the application has to be for the training itself. QEST needs to see how the training would help applicants contribute towards the craft sector in the UK.
How has QEST funding helped glass artists? Read on to hear more from previous successful scholars.
Timothy Harris
One of the first craftspeople to benefit from QEST support was Timothy Harris (Isle of Wight Studio Glass). He says, “In 1991 my QEST R. Twining & Company Ltd Scholarship enabled me to travel to the USA and study at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina and at Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State. This experience had an enormous impact on my work – 30 years later I still use the techniques I learnt there, and it instilled in me a ‘go for it’ attitude that has come into my work a lot ever since. The training is as relevant today as much as it was back then. I returned to Penland the following year as a technical assistant and learnt on the job – the best way possible.
Timothy Harris at work in the hot shop.
“I’ve attended a number of QEST events over the years and featured in exhibitions they have organised, including at Fortnum & Mason. It was great to be represented in QEST’s book, A Celebration of British Craftsmanship, in 2018 and they have been continually supportive. The scholarship was a golden opportunity that I would otherwise not have had and I greatly appreciate it.
“QEST has also put me in touch with other scholars and I collaborated with QEST Scholar Daniel Durnin to produce a set of six whisky glasses and a water jug for Prince Charles’ 70th birthday. It’s always good to work with other makers. Most recently, my work was exhibited in the Floris store in St.James’s, London, as part of the QEST Craft Trail for London Craft Week 2020.”
Celia Dowson
More recent QEST scholar, Celia Dowson, says, “A 2017 QEST Tom Helme Scholarship contributed a significant sum towards my MA in Ceramics & Glass at the Royal College of Art, supporting me through my final year while also contributing to material costs. This offered me the freedom to continue the exploration and expression of my work without bounds, projecting me forward with confidence into my career as an artist.
“QEST are often in contact. There has been continual support in the promotion of my work, including magazine features, and I’m now looking forward to exhibiting with them in their first year at Artefact, a new contemporary craft fair at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.
“I always enjoy seeing the team at shows or bumping into them at events. It is wonderful to be part of such a nourishing and supportive community of makers and patrons!”
Celia Dowson’s ‘Indigo Platter with Indigo Vessels’. Photo: Alick Cotterill.
Scott Benefield
Scott Benefield (Benefield Spencer Glass) also received funding from QEST in 2013. He explains, “For the past 25 years I have focused my practice on Venetian cane techniques, first developed on the island of Murano during the 16th century, and that I learned from studying with Lino Tagliapietra. I have spent many years designing and producing serial production using those techniques for the American and UK markets, as well as exhibiting unique pieces in galleries and exhibitions.
“Since 2004, I have regularly taught workshops that were grounded in those traditional techniques, but also explored innovative developments that built on that body of knowledge. Workshop teaching allowed me to travel to many different countries, and eventually brought me to the island of Ireland, where I have lived and worked for the past 10 years.
“My QEST scholarship in 2013 provided funding for me to study glass chemistry and learn the basics of formulating, mixing and melting coloured glasses. It’s a subject that has a long history in industry, but today is rarely taught outside of material science programmes.
“Doing your own chemistry was a feature of the early studio glass movement, where some basic information crossed over from ceramic glaze calculations, but most of that development stopped with the introduction of a wide palette of compatible colour rods in the 1970s. There is still a small coterie of glassblowers who started in the ’60s and still make their own colour, but that generation is retiring and a lot of their knowledge is being lost. It’s not an academic approach, or even scientific, but more like cooking: a practical, empirical, hands-on understanding of how to transform raw materials with predictable results.
Scott Benefield’s ‘Antrim Fields’ (2020).
“QEST is very good at continuing to network and stay in touch with its alumni, which can be quite valuable in terms of contacts and current information. They’re always active on social media. They offer regular opportunities for exhibition and public exposure – mostly London-based, but of a reliably high quality. They also hosted a programme of professional development webinars during the pandemic with extraordinary presenters, which was quite useful. I was flattered to be included in their publication, A Celebration of British Craftsmanship, which profiled 100 past scholarship recipients.”
Kaja Upelj
One of the first glass artists profiled in Glass Network digital when it launched in 2020 was Kaja Upelj (You can read that feature here).
Kaja expands on the thinking behind her glass art: “My interest is to modify the perception the observer has about the material and highlight how very simple it is to create an illusion, through which one is enticed into different thinking and decision making. Firm perceptions of glass as being cold and fragile, along with fear of the material, dissipates by creating tactile artwork featuring soft lines and an iridescent flow within glass.
“With my works of art, I want to highlight the existence of ideology and the related problem of its ubiquity in today’s society. Everything that surrounds us on a daily basis is subtly wrapped in attractive objects, stories and ideas that entice us to trust them and follow them blindly. With my artwork, I want to draw attention to the importance of a realistic view of everything around us. In appearance, the soft and mystical glass objects invite you to touch the glass surface by the abstract image and flowing colours, thus distorting the true image of glass as a material that is still cold and fragile.
“I always strive to find methods and material that will correlate with my concept and my vision. This can often be quite challenging, but it leads me to discover new materials and ways of working.
“Innovative materials are highly priced or might not be easily accessible, factors which affect the costs of making. Therefore, being granted a QEST scholarship enabled me to continue my research by attending Corning Museum of Glass’s course in the United States. With the financial support I received, my focus was merely the exploration of glass and the results, without any worry about the costs of travel or materials.
“Not only am I very appreciative of this opportunity, but also of QEST’s ongoing support. They exhibited my work on their stand at Collect 2020, and it featured in the QEST magazine. As an emerging artist I am continually learning how to build my career, and when searching for advice I find support in the QEST community.”
Vivienne Kelly
As well as funding glass artists creating new work, QEST supports those wanting to follow careers in conservation. Vivienne Kelly is one such recipient. She says, “I am interested in both historical and contemporary Scottish stained glass and how its conservation can inform a resurgence of the craft form in a contemporary light. My own work comes from historic research, which is informed by my practice as a conservator.
Vivienne Kelly’s ‘Scottish Folklore Window’.
“My QEST Pilgrim Trust Scholarship has enabled me to advance my conservation practice and practical glazing ability through a scholarship to attend a two-year Masters course at the University of York on stained glass conservation and heritage management. This is the only course of its kind in the English-speaking world and has produced many leading conservators worldwide.
“Currently I am in year one of the MA and have achieved distinctions on several papers focusing on Scottish stained glass, one of which may help me gain funding for further conservation of a window I have written about. This May, I assisted ICON-accredited conservator Linda Cannon with the conservation of Douglas Strachan’s stained glass at the Scottish National War Memorial in Edinburgh Castle, overseen by Historic Environment Scotland.
“On 14 June 2021 I started a placement at world-leading stained glass conservation studio Glasmalerei Peters in Paderborn Germany, where my practical glazing skills and theoretical conservation knowledge will be put to the test.”
Grace Ayson
Another stained glass artist and conservator is Grace Ayson. She brings this review of QEST scholars right up to date, being one of two glass artists to receive funding in 2020.
Grace comments, “I have a deep respect for the traditions of my craft and have spent a great deal of my professional life restoring historically important windows using traditional materials and techniques. In my work as an artist, I always strive to push the possibilities of traditional techniques and materials to make new work and engage with the materials of stained glass in new and exciting ways. I firmly believe that the craft of stained glass in its traditional form can be reinvigorated and carried forward by looking beyond the usual parameters of conventional practice. I want to combine contemporary art and the innovative use of traditional craft. I like to combine the precision of line and spontaneity of brush stroke in my painting style.
“Due to the pandemic my scholarship activities have been delayed and are just about to begin. I’m so excited! However, since being awarded the scholarship, I have already felt the benefits of being a QEST Allchurches Trust Scholar in the interest in my work.”
Detail of painted stained glass panel by Grace Ayson.
Katherine Huskie
CGS members may have seen Katherine Huskie’s live presentation about her work as part of the series of CGS Talks on Wednesday evenings. Katherine is also well known as half of the Devereux & Huskie glassworks duo. Additonally, she was a successful applicant for QEST funding in 2020.
Katherine explains, “I have been a glass blower for over a decade and have such a passion and love for glass. It has taken me all over the world and I have worked with, and for, a number of incredible artists. I am drawn to texture, whether it is in nature or manmade, and my hot glass reflects this.
“In 2019 I took a course in neon and instantly realised I needed to know more. I began experimenting and soon knew that I needed formal training. I was awarded a QEST Company of Arts’ Scholars Scholarship to do a month one-to-one training with a neon master. I will begin my formal training this month (June 2021).
Katherine Huskie is exploring the use of neon and hot glass, as seen here in this close up of her work (2021).
“I am currently combining my passion for hot glass and neon by making large-scale neon wall art that has a hot glass panel. QEST is an incredible organisation – not only with the scholarship, but with the lectures and online support. Everyone wants to help and further your journey with them.”
Read more about each of these glass artists – and many more – in the Directory on the QEST website.
The next round of applications for QEST funding is open between 12 July and 16 August 2021. Find out more about what is needed for your application on the QEST website.
Main feature image: London Craft Week 2020 glass by Timothy Harris, on display at British perfumers, Floris. Photo: Dan Weill.
And finally, if you are not yet a member of CGS, why not join today and get access to a host of glass artists and glass collectors providing informative and entertaining talks on video about their work and collections? This is just one benefit of becoming a member.
The Glass Art Society (GAS) is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2022 with an international conference. The event will be held at Tacoma, Washington, in the USA from 18-22 May 2022 and conference proposals are invited now.
GAS will explore the past 50 years of glass and discuss what the next 50 years could hold for making, collecting and educating.
So, if you would like to take part, why not submit your conference proposal now? All applications should support GAS’s mission to “connect, inspire and empower all facets of the global glass community”.
Presentations can be in the form of: demonstrations (up to 2 hours) featuring hot, cold, flame and neon glassmaking; lecture/demonstrations (1.5 hours) combining a lecture, with pre-made materials, and a live demonstration; lectures (1 hour) for anyone from emerging artists to educators, established professional and curators; panels (1.5 hours) presenting innovative and unique topics by artists, experts and educators; and other formats, such as film, performance and workshops (up to 1.5 hours).
You do not need to be a member of GAS to submit a presentation proposal and you can be located anywhere in the world.
All proposals must be submitted by the deadline of 11.59pm PDT on 18 July 2021.
Find out the full details and apply via this link on the GAS website.
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