Lovely Lustre (2012)

It's that time of year again, the annual Lustre event at Lakeside. I went with a keener and more inquisitive eye this year, looking at the display and quality of finish to the products on show. I was quite taken by the affordability of the wares and made a few purchases too!

I enjoyed talking with Christine Gray about her process of making these beautiful porcelain bowls:

The cast glass sculptures of Louisa Finch:

More glass sculptures by Samantha Donaldson:

Katie Gilliland's taxidermy inspired jewellery:

The attention to detail in Malin Winberg's work:

The simple yet effective designs of Jane Blease:

The technicalities and consideration applied to the work of Anna Wales:

The scaffold inspired brilliance in the jewellery of Helen Sutherland:

The illustrative delights in the textiles of Teresa Cole:

And the exciting ceramic drawings-cum-sculptures of Nicola Laidstone!

Nicola has an open studio event at the Shed 2 studios on 30th November -
I'm definitley going along to have a peek!

My purchases of the day were: 

these three bear embroideries by Natalia Kukiel...I wonder where they will go?

and a mug by Carly Dodsley - which I'm enjoying as I blog!

So all in all, it was another lovely Lustre and a pleasant addition to the work that I saw there last year. I'm keen to make it a annual visit and continue to support the new, local and inspiring makers that it attracts. Maybe I will be there one day? who knows....

Meeting of Materials

Our first project of the second year is Meeting of Materials. 

The Brief: 4 Week project

The Joining and Meeting of material techniques and processes is a key issue for anyone work in the decorative arts.How we combine materials, utilise techniques and synthesis processes , can leads us towards new working practices and eventually to exciting finished work.You are required to produce a series of Object that demonstrate working in combination.

Through research today  I have found an excellent display of jewellery doing this at Lesley Craze Gallery, I especially like Tania Clarke Hall's Freeform collection.

Considering the idea of the meeting of material and concept, I am really struck by the work of Steffen Dam, his curious glass panels fuse specimen jars with the application of attentive glass work

Cabinet of Curiosities, 2010

Further consideration, in terms of the meeting of process and material, exciting work can be made like the surface design of Drummond Masterton where digital craft technology creates bowls like this: 

From the Star Tessellation series

 Other interesting combinations can be found in the work of Stuart Cairns. His extensive utensils collection are delicate, clever and compelling:

2 Tea spoons

Nail Ladle

South Korean Ja-kyung Shin similarly explores the act of making through materials and process, like here with In My Hands (2009) which concentrates on the process of electroforming:

That's all Folks!

For my first year at uni at least! I can't believe how quick it's all gone?! Been such an exciting year, full of lots of discovery and plenty to develop in the coming 2 years. I'm unsure as to whether I am a 3D maker or 2D surface designer but I still have another year and a bit to decide which way I'm going to go! There were actually bits from all the materials (process wise) that I enjoyed, but overall Print, Glass and Ceramics gelled with me the best! I never did put up a post about my metal and wood projects, maybe that's because I didn't enjoy them as much as the others? Here are the final pieces for both projects:

Metal

having developed a process/texture through centre punch application

I made a variety of samples across brass, copper, alluminium and steel

and 'collaged' them together using rivets

Wood

Wooden sculpture based around the movement of piano keys.

This was my table layout for the Metal & Wood assessment:

And here is my one for Glass & Ceramics:

 

I never got round to documenting my glass project on here as it was very experimental and there were no real 'final pieces'. I produced a number of pieces and tried to incorporate a variety of techniques. Those pieces that I would potentially put in that 'final piece' category, but that need much more work in terms of polish and refinement are:

Bullseye glass assemblage using French Vanilla as a base and incorporating various circles of different colours and transparencies

I couldn't decide which side looked best so never got round to slumping! I'd be really interested in coming back to this and developing a number of colour palettes and arrangements

A fusing together of lots of different colours

then slumping it! Very much in need of a good polish though!!!

After an attempt at throwing some pots I was left with these 'collars'. I decided to fire them rather than recycling the clay and thought they might be interesting if used for slumping molds.

in an early experiment I had trapped some feathers between some glass and after fusing these bubbles appeared!

using the collars and the same fusing process as the feathers I took a whole pheasant wing, sprinkled on some enamels and let the kiln work its magic

I think this was my favourite piece. Having fused a few scraps of bullseye together I then slumped it into this failed thrown attempt. I like the way it hugs all the contours. This could make for a really interesting development....

Michel de Broin

Via Katie Hosmer's blog I've been introduced to the sculptor Michel de Broin. I love reconstructed objects and this work is just fab!

Dead Star, 2008

Breaking Matter, 2006

Late Program, 2009

Superficial (model), 2004

Sperficial (constructed and in situ!), 2004

Revolutions, 2003

Hole, 2002

Lost Object, 2002

Epater la Galerie, 2002

Epater la Galerie, 2002

Pipaluk Lake

I've just discovered the work of Pipaluk Lake via the glass quartley blog. She is a Danish artist making incredible slumped glassware and as I've been considering movement for my glass project this has really inspired me!!

Framework, 2008

from her most recent show drops

And here's a selection from her website it's just beautiful!

Centre Wave, 2007

Circular, 2006

Bundles and Fans, 2006

Bundles and Fans, 2006

Ocean, 2002

Ocean, 2002

I also came across this short video of her work too: