A bit about me….

I have fond memories of my Dad drawing in Biro on any scrap of paper he could find, I guess he was the inspiration for my love of art.

So off I went to college to train as a teacher, in Art, Design and Technology. Loved the fact that even the most truculent teenagers could become absorbed in Art!

After 25 years of teaching I moved into Local Authority work, still working with schools and learning, but so missed the front line, the curiosity of young people and the creative environment of the art and design room.

So upon retirement, I built my own classroom, a studio in the garden! Where I now spend my days working with glass and ceramics and teaching others.

Over the past 12 months I’ve attended a number of successful shows, and so have taken the step to go online, so Earth Sand and Fire was born.

A bit about my materials and processes…

I try to do my bit for the environment, and was shocked to learn that lots of old float window glass doesn’t get recycled.

So, while working with glass I have made it my mission to re-use and upcycle float glass as my main material. It can be temperamental and unpredictable, but that’s part of the fun.

I colour my glass with frit and enamels, and create texture using layers of glass to create bubbles, and trapping metal inclusions, to create interesting effects.

The glass is then fired, often several times, at around 800 centigrade, each firing takes around a day to ensure slow and controlled temperature changes to ensure the glass isn’t stressed.