Winding down the art glass

Our last firing for the glass program was not really the "last" - there will still be regular firings, maybe one a week or so. But getting three firings out each week for the last month has been quite intense and it's nice to move along to something else. We are, as noted a few days ago, about to begin the data base reconstruction and this will be new ground for us. But now I would like to thank everybody who put worked with us on design and production of the glass: Tingapa West, Melva Davies, Lynette Lewis, Nora Holland, Nola Hunt, Pulpurru Davies, Nancy Donegan, Elizabeth Holland, Christine West were stand outs. The team was fantastic: Cecil, Carl and Natalie all gave everything to it and were the reason the outcomes were spectacular.

We had time to make some experiments as well, with some excellent new directions we can develop in the future.

The art glass that Warburton produces is such a nice product with so much potential for development. We are planning to develop the architectural sheet design and production for early next year, before China, but in the meantime we still have all the coloured work ahead of us, and this should be real fun. It was interesting showing a group of women cutting glass techniques in the kiln roon a few weeks ago - after a demonstration I gave the glass cutter to Tingapa and she scored the cut and, before she realised she had done it, had made two pieces out of one. There was a moment of surprise as people saw how easy it was, a real and kind of pleasant encounter with something new. There are some issues with all this cutting glass but we hope a few people will get involved with it. I really do think that some of the platters and large bowls we produced over the last few weeks are the best that have ever been made in Warburton. It took two tests at the outset to get the firing schedule right, but then it was perfect every time. We had some kiln faeries in the nineties but they've gone now, thank goodness. Below Nat and Carl late evening with a firing about to go in.

gaz.