Fused glass sessions

For the past few weeks I've been working with local students and residents to create the coloured glass background discs for the front of the Reach sculpture. 

We worked with fusing glass, adding different grades of crushed and powdered glass to build up layers of colour.

UTC Oxfordshire year 11 students selecting glass background pieces.

Aureus year 7 students adding coloured glass "frit".

I also ran two sessions at the Northern Neighbourhood Community Centre on GWP, where residents designed and made glass discs for the sculpture, and also experimented with different techniques to make their own fused glass artworks.

 

     

NNCC sessions

     

Glass discs ready for firing.

The glass really comes to life  once it has been fired in the kiln.  The powders become thin, subtle tints and the crushed glass makes intense spots of colours.  By mixing and layering the materials, you can get some beautiful results...

I love them!  They're a different kind of lush when back lit, but I couldn't get a decent photo of that; you'll have to wait until the sculpture's up to see!