Residency - part 2

National Glass Centre Sunderland

Glass Jewellery - design development

I came away from my 10 day residency with a huge number of test pieces and samples.  I love the richness of colour, transparencies and crisp finish that can be achieved with glass.

Creating jewellery using glass as a material is a huge challenge.  Glass is heavy, and in some ways fragile. A slight ding can leave an ugly chip, spoiling the clean crisp edges. Jo Mitchell and I were working with the very smallest shapes and forms that the water-jet cutter could handle. Even still, these pieces seem massive compared to a jewellery scale. I am used to working within fractions of a millimeter and switching up in scale is both challenging and liberating.

My process often involves making tests in card or paper, before moving into metal. The images below show works in progress, developments and testing ideas.  I aim to develop 4-6 pieces into sculptural jewellery pieces.

work in progress

Exploring composition

Glass components set in an oxidised silver frame.  Front.

Back view

The final works will be shown in an exhibition beginning 25th March at The National Glass Centre, Sunderland.