Glass Engraving, Blaze and future courses

This past weekend saw my Experience Glass group learning the art of Sandblasting and engraving. Traditional hand tools are used to engrave into the glass, an excellent technique to explore mark making.
Some fantastic work was produced, looking forward to seeing what wonderful creations the students make next time when we learn the traditional technique of glass painting.

If you're interested in learning any aspect of glass making we are now taking bookings for next terms Experience Glass monthly course, starting in October, and we have also introduced Exploring Glass a twelve week course on a Thursday evening at Creative Glass Guild in Bristol. Spend you're evening's exploring the wonderful world of glass, and the numerous possibilities it creates!! Book your place HERE 

In other news, Blaze studios on Colston Street are now stocking my work. the co-op run studio have some amazing items, by some very talented artists, so why not pop down one sunny afternoon and see whats available.

Poppy Appeal Donation

As part of a new range of fused glass jewellery, I started making fused glass poppy brooches last year.
For each brooch sold I decided I would donate £3 to the British Legion.
I'm pleased to say that to date I have sold 13 brooches raising £39 for the Legion  to help support serving and ex-Service men and women.
Poppy Brooches are still available to buy HERE  

Thank you for your kind gift

Dear Mr Alderson

Thank you very much for your kind donation of £39.00 to The Royal British Legion. We really value your support. Your donation will be debited from your card within 2 working days.

Over 9 million people are eligible for our support and 1,000 people call on us for help every day. Your gift will help us continue to provide serving and ex-Service men and women in need of practical, financial and emotional support; as well as campaign for their best interests.

Yours sincerely

Charles Byrne
Director of Fundraising
The Royal British Legion

EXPERIENCE GLASS

My monthly group of students are coming on well, this month we looked at the stained glass process, the students came prepared with designs in mind which we then created templates for, cut out the glass, leaded and soldered together. Quite an under taking in a day! we will cement the panels in the next class then look at the copper foiling process. For more details on the course CLICK HERE or contact Creative Glass Guild

Teach the Teacher - The Benefits of Spectrum System 96

So last week I spent three days teaching local teachers the benefits of using Spectrum System 96 Glass.

The free workshops run by and held at Creative Glass Guild in Bristol were designed to encourage and explore the benefits of System 96 for teachers and students alike.

System 96 glass is a soft, forgiving glass with a long working range and a wide margin of error. It is famously easy to cut; the colors are bright and consistent, and it will tolerate multiple firings without a blemish.

Over the course of the day students were introduced to a series of new and advanced techniques in glass fusion, designed to explore and test the limits of System 96 Glass. Glass dilution, frit migration and reactions in glass were explored and absorbed. These techniques can be learnt on the Further Fusing course taught by yours truly at Creative Glass Guild CLICK HERE for further details and to book your place now!

Reactive Glass - Reactions occur when ions from two adjacent glasses migrate and mingle during the firing
process, where these two glasses join a reaction line occurs, which can add new depth and interest to your glass creations. To find out more about glass reactions and which glasses react with each other come along to the next course!

           Sat 30th November & Sun 1st December
           Sat 15th February & Sun 16th February


In other news I am taking part in Art on the Hill, an Arts trail around Windmill Hill, Bristol, On the weekend of 5th and 6th October..
CLICK HERE for more information and to see what else is happening over the weekend.

Glass Fusing and Slumping Weekend

Last weekend I taught a fusing and slumping weekend, students are talked through the basic principles of fused glass then introduced to a series of techniques throughout the day, including kiln carving, using metal inclusions, glass dilution and the different ways of layering glass to achieve different results.

Students hard at work on 

A steady hand needed to assemble in the kiln!

work ready for firing!

In the final project of the weekend students have the opportunity to incorporate any and all of the techniques they've learned in creating unique fused glass dishes, the results can be seen below.

If you'd like to sign up for a class follow the link below

Glass Fusing courses a Creative Glass Guild

What's next? Why not try further fusing CLICK HERE to check out the course! 

Life Drawing

Today I thought i'd share some of my life drawing's with you all.
I hadn't been doing much drawing last year and missed it, so I decided to do something about it and joined the life drawing class held at Bristol Grammar School. Details Here  Its a fantastic class, very informal, your left to get on with it yourself, with guidance if needed.  With a choice of models and time frames each week.

Traditional Glass Painting Course

Today I just wanted to share with you some of the fantastic work my students created on the Glass painting course last weekend.
On the course I teach the traditional methods of glass painting, we start with learning how to mix the paint, this is key to a successful piece as if you have the wrong consistency of paint on your palette it will effect the way you paint on your glass.

First up is Tracing, using fine sable hair brushes, you copy the basic lines of the image onto the glass. These lines are then strengthened. Areas of solid black are then filled in through a process known as flooding, Sticks and scrubs are used to tidy up the image, then the piece goes in for its first firing.
Once the trace lines have been fired into the glass its possible to work over the image with matting techniques to build up definition and 3- dimensionality. ( This stage cannot be done on the same day as the pieces need to be fired overnight)
The afternoon is spent looking at matting techniques, and mark making. With a brief look at silver stain and enamels.

                                                                                   

                                                                                                   

Ruth's fantastic fish was painted on waterglass, with details picked on with silver stain.

Wonderful bumble bee by Justine

Pieces after firing

Dates for your diary

I'll be teaching on the following dates at Creative Glass Guild, Bristol

Glass Painting Taster Day
Sunday 28th April 2013
Saturday 8th June 2013
Saturday 17th August 2013

Fused Glass Jewellery Taster Day

Sunday 17th March 2013
Saturday 25th May 2013
Saturday 27th July 2013

Fused Glass Jewellery Weekend

13th & 14th April 2013
29th &30th June 2013
7th & 8th September 2013


Visit www.creativeglassguild.co.uk or call 0871 200 33 89 to book you place now!

Glass Resolutions

Happy New Year!!!!!

So it is a new year which means it is time for resolutions. I got a little waylaid last year by moving to a new city and job, but now i'm 'nested' as it were in my new house/job/life, I can finally throw myself back into my artwork.so this year is all about productivity and expanding Simon Alderson Glass.

Hopefully by the end of the month I shall be reunited with my kiln, which means I will have more freedom to experiment and create. So exciting times ahead! To the right is a preview of what I have been working on recently, playing with reactive glass, which is something I've never really played with before, but it has such fantastic possibilities.

In other exciting news I'm now going to be teaching the Stained Glass Painting Taster Day at Creative Glass Guild, check out my teaching dates below or CLICK HERE to view more details and book your place now!


And finally for those who haven't seen them yet, the panels I made last year were finally installed, and I never got around to blogging a picture so here it is below.

Course Dates for next couple months:

  

Glass Painting Taster Day

Sunday 24^th February 2013

Sunday 28^th April 2013

Fused Glass Jewellery Taster Day

Saturday 19^th January 2013

Sunday 17^th March 2013

Fused Glass Jewellery Weekend

13^th & 14^th April 2013