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I Love Seahorses!
… so I was very pleased when I was commissioned to make a seahorse design for someone.
I was contacted a few months back by someone who’d seen my stained glass seahorse panel which I made years ago as part of an evening class. He is an underwater photographer and diving journalist and asked if I could make one for him.
No, I said, sorry. What? I hear you cry, are you mad? Well, no, I am not (well I might be slightly) but I don’t have the tools and equipment to make stained glass – although I expect my cutting skills would be up to it (you’d think so after 11 years of fusing) – so I showed him some of my more current work, told him how much I loved seahorses and I’d happily make one with no pressure to buy, it was just something I’d wanted to do for a while.
So, here’s Mr Seahorse. I was very pleased with him.
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Some Eye Candy
I’ve not posted much lately – because I’ve been rather busy!
I went straight from the residency project to some work with Arts at The Heart, Kirk Hallam, and have been working with community groups and a nursing home. Got lots of project photos to show you for those.
At the same time, I’ve been involved in a project up at Creswell Village, working with a lovely group of ladies that I’ve got to know well over the last few months. I’ve been teaching them some glass skills whilst building up ideas for a piece of community art. That project is all done now, well my part has anyway, and it culminated in a glass tapestry made by the group members which will be on permanent display in the Big Local office.
But I am not going to show you that!
I finally got a chance to get back to making a bit of my own work in the kiln, and I was so pleased that the kiln fairies were kind to me, even though I’ve been working them very hard.
This beauty came out the other day, it’ll be destined for one of the galleries I stock, but I thought you might like to see it. I was so pleased with everything about it – the subtle sheen, the gentle variations in the glass, as well as the shadows that the clear strip cast.
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Exhibition Images
I know I have already shown a few images of my work at the Erewash Museum, but I’ve had these through from the official photographer and I am thrilled to bits with them. Deborah Selwood Photography did them and wanted to share just a few.
So not a lot to say, just admire Deborah’s excellent photography skills, and hopefully enjoy a bit of my art!
An extract from Frank’s war journal following his brother’s death during the Somme battle 
From one of Edwin’s letters home to his parents. This made me smile when I read it. 
From Frank’s diaries – the words were so poignant, and didn’t leave my brain. 
Contrast between the tone of Edwin’s letters home and the gritty reality of Frank’s war journal. 
These are two of my favourite pieces. In Frank’s diary, he talks about the irony of wearing khaki for camouflage, and then having to shine their buttons. The buttons are gold on the glass. 
An extract from one of the many letters of condolence written to Edwin’s parents following his death. 
Contrasting descriptions of the front line trenches from the Hasse brothers. 
In case you don’t recognise it, the glass disc on the right is map of the Somme battle lines, the dotty line is where it was when Edwin lost his life. 
Stunned by how beautifully Deborah captured my glass Death Penny. -
Best Impression of Headless Chicken Ever!
It’s been a mad one I can tell you! Last time I posted, I had five days to go to exhibition. I spent a LOT of time at the studio in those five days, cutting circles, engraving glass, projecting drawings, tearing my hair out, running around like a headless chicken. You know, as you do, with just days to go and everything going wrong…
But it came together (as my friends and family reassured me it would, they knew something I didn’t). I even got most of the installation done on Monday afternoon, with just a bit of a tidy up on Tuesday morning – I was actually set up and ready with a whole five hours to spare. Almost unheard of!
I thoroughly enjoyed the preview event, all of the work is great, not just mine, 😉 I received a lot of positive feedback, moved a couple of people to tears and got a comment from a good friend that she “never knew I could draw”.
We had a little tour of the three venues with food, drink and a Ukulele band to finish the evening off.
Here’s a couple of photos from the event, I forgot to take any with all the craziness of the evening – hopefully we will get some official photos through soon.
Glass version of Next of Kin Memorial Plaque 
Text from Frank’s War Journal on the burial of his brother, Edwin 
A soldier in khaki with shiny buttons
