Hey hey, sorry for the delayed update. To say that Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend's class was full-on would be a gross understatement. If you haven't see her work here is a few examples and you can follow this link to see some more: http://susanstinsmuehlenamend.blogspot.co.uk/

These works are created by layering multiple panels of glass that have all gone through numerous kiln firings. Susan also uses variety of techniques to translate her images and ideas onto the glass such as; decals that are fired, painting, blasting and many other techniques.  

We were each given a light table and a tool kit containing a variety of brushes, pallet knives, rulers, painting rests, etc. the light table helps you see what's you applied paint and its consistency will look like.  

Susan demonstrating how she mixes up her enamels ..... I don't have any experience with this .... and it's actually a lot more involved then I ever imagined. 

One of the focuses of the class was creating depth within our paintings. This was a demo where Suzan painted on both sides of the glass, black line work of one side and colours on the other. 

We were absolutely spoiled in this class for technical demo's, not only did we have Susan's expertise but we also had Jeff Zimmer as out teaching assistant. 

Jeff is known for creating many ....... many ......... many layered works that are both beautiful and thoughtful. You can find more examples of his work on his website: www.jeffxzimmer.com

These works are created by dividing up the scene into many different layers with each being painted on separate sheets of clears glass. When they are stacked, framed and backlit the illusion of space and depth is mesmerising. 

This is an image I created using a product called Razist. It is photosensitive sandblasting resist that allows you to translate black and white images into stencils that can then be blasted away in a sandblaster.

I am rubbing black enamel into the sandblasted texture. 

After it was fired I added colour on the back of the panel that was inspired by the colour of the local lichen. 

Working out the layering.

We used frames to allow us to see our works in different ways. 

Using Platinum luster, which goes you an "old mirror" look.

Creating test tiles for the Platinum lustre. 

Again we were really spoiled for technical expertise ... this is Mieke Groot, the creative director of North Lands and an all around amazing artist, demonstrating her techniques for enamel working. She primarily works on blown and 3-D forms and if you don't know her work I highly recommend that you have a look at her website: www.miekegroot.nl/

Mieke with antlers and mixing enamels. 

The wonderful and knowledgable Michael Bullen who made popular such songs as; "how am I supposed to live without you" and "When a man loves a woman" ...... no wait ..... was that Michael Bolton? ... Well either way famous musician known for cheesy love songs or not Michael Bullen is one of the go-to people at North Lands and is like a walking encyclopaedia of glass painting ... among other things ..... and for those of you who are to young for encyclopaedia's they were like google in a book ... or many books .... yes ..... so to clarify Michael Bullen is like the physical manifestation of a google search on glass painting .... except without all the cheesy pictures of sun catchers ..... so I guess he is nothing like a google search on glass painting ..... and more like a factual collection of books on the subject .... so ....... I guess you could say that he knows a lot about it.   

Michael worked restoring historic stained glass windows for around 12 years and is full of tips and tricks of the trade. 

Ok so a quick overview of the conference ..... but first me in a fantastic felt hat made by local felt, glass, jewellery artist Patricia Niemann. 

The night before the conference began there was a meal at the Bay Owl restaurant where everyone could start to get aquatinted. 

The next morning the conference was opened by keynote speaker Jane Pavitt who is the head of the history of design program and the Dean of the School of Humanities at the Royal College of Art. As a former research fellow at the V&A (Victoria and Albert museum) her presentation outlined the inspiration behind the V&A's 2011 exhibition Postmodernism: Style and Subversion 1970-1990. This was a really interesting talk and I could have happily listened to her talk for another hour.  

So many of the talks were fantastic and really in-depth and I can't possibly do them justice in the amount of time I have to describe them so unfortunately you will just have to settle for a quick synopsis. 

   

Rupert Faulkner gave a very engaging talk on the Japanese sub-culture of Lolita ...... which I didn't even know existed but after his talk want to know more about. 

Wilfried van Damme gave a very in-depth talk on African aesthetics and masks.

Madelief Hohe gave a talk on historical link between fashion and art with a staggering amount of examples ....... I left knowing more about the links between fashion and art then I ever imagined existed.

The instructors for the master classes each gave talks on their work with were all great and showed a huge variety of influences and skills.  

The Glass Games has been a collection of nation wide events organised to co-inside with the Olympics and Paralympics and consisted of a variety of event at the conference.  

Message in a bottle. Participants were given slumped and modified bottles to put messages in and then they were going to be cast into the ocean by a local fisherman. 

I love bagpipes! and indeed what would a Scottish conference be without a scottish bagpiper?

A Glass puzzle created by Jeff Zimmer

Jeff's devious smile as we all struggled to piece the puzzle together.

It only took around eight people and a half hour to figure out ...... and was a bit painful to see mixed up for the next crew. 

Flame working demo's

Glass toss ...... you had to get the paper weight into the lobster trap. 

And there is my message getting ready to head out to sea.

The night of the Scottish Glass Society's exhibition opening at North Lands gallery. 

One of Jeff Zimmers works in the exhibition.

Work by Yi Peng

Pam and David Reekie starting the céilidh .... which is a traditional Scottish dance ..... This was so much fun!! They brought in local dancers to teach .... and encourage us all onto the dance floor... 

If you ever get the chance to go to a céilidh I would highly recommend it! 

Ok Gotta go get work out of the kiln but I will add more soon. Hope your all great and loving life. 

Hi all...... I know I know, I've left you all hanging ... days and days without a post. And for that I am sorry. Suzan's class has been absolutely jam packed with new techniques and processes and I have been scrambling to learn them all. It's funny although I am no expert at many glass techniques I do feel I have a good understanding of a great number of them but glass painting is not one of them ..... I feel that I have really been starting from scratch ....... learning about all the different kinds of glass enamels, all the mediums that can be mixed with them ... a few that can't .... or shouldn't .... how to layer and fire the enamels, what the difference is between glass enamels and glass paints, whether is should be displayed in reflected or transmitted light .... and on and on .... It has really been fantastic. and I am going to upload a heap of pictures for you all to see and try walk you though some of what we have been learning...... but first I just wanted to post some pics of Suzannah Vaughan's work. 

I had meant to get them up earlier but ....... anyway Suzannah was the excellent teaching assistant for the Angela Jarman class and she makes beautiful cast glass and concrete work as well as installation based works....... Here is a little preview .... and to see some more ... which I would recommend, you could just follow these links: 

www.saatchionline.com/SuzannahVaughan

www.craftinireland.com/events/details/suzannah-vaughan-tracing-form/

Ok more writing with the pictures ... thanks for all the input. Mieke, Brad, Gab, Christine this writing is for you.... and anyone else reading of course. 

Time is flying here at North Lands, the conference is over, having been filled with great lectures, demo's, games, meals, and a scotch tasting (more on all this later), and the new classes have begun .... and we really hit the ground running ........... but first I want to sum up my class with Angela Jarman. This was a fantastic class with lots of skill development in wax working, hollow core casting, various mould making techniques and approaches. For any of you who are not familiar with Angela's work I have included the following images from the internet. 

Although Angela's focus is cast glass she also includes cast metal pressure fit incisions in her work. The majority of her work starts with intricately constructed wax sculptures usually derived from found organic materiel. She is interested in both nature and the genetic manipulation of nature through human involvement. Angela often makes one cast as a positive of the worked wax model in black, a colour that she she's as anti-organic, black the colour of death and decay and then goes on to use the mould to create another piece with a hollow core cast where the 'object' that you see through the surface of the glass is actually the negative space inside the clear cast. I would recommend checking out her website: www.angelajarman.com

As someone who is currently going though the process of immigrating to Australia these processes offer a poetic tool to speak of and investigate notions of memory and loss. As an immigrant your focus is often turned toward what is missing rather then what is there in front of you. The clear glass reveals the surface texture, shape, and intricate details of the object that it appears to enclose but what you are actually seeing is only the trace or memory of that object. I have just cut the sprue off and cleaned the mould materials off the surface of my black cast so I will be posting some pictures of it soon. 

Hope your all great!