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! 

OK ... So I am interested in some feedback..... it has been suggested by some who shall remain nameless, that I should put less 'having fun shots/holiday type' pictures on my blog and focus more on the glass and the Master classes .... What do you think?? WAIT!!!  before you answer let me fill you in on my take of the Northlands experience. When you arrive the amazing and generous staff at North Lands Creative Glass mention that although you are here to take a class, learn new techniques and expand your artistic vocabulary that when the weather permits you should also be sure to take the time to take-in the surroundings ...... it is part of what make Northlands unique ......... and it truly is unique. It is located in the small fishing village of Lybster perched atop cliffs overlooking the North Sea, in the Caithness region of the Scottish highlands. So although I know it is an exercise in futility to try and convey the majestic and picturesque landscape, mind-bendingly old history, the vibrant Scottish Highland culture, and all the knowledge, skill, intensity and social cohesion that takes place in a great Master class it is ALL a part of the North Lands experience.
 

So what do you think? I would appreciate you feedback.

I will say before I try to sum up my class with Angela Jarman that due the the time constraints of a casting class the majority and focus of the class was all preparation for what was to become glass. So although this was a very intense and focused class the finished glass is still to come. My work, which you will see pictures of in just a bit came out of the kiln at the end of the last day and although it has been demoulded it was still warm and couldn't be cleaned or cold-worked.

All gathered around the kiln warming up after a short walk on a 'warm' Scottish evening. Truth be told I have really been enjoying the crispness in the air. 

On the second last day the kiln was shut off so that it would be down in time for everyone to take their work with them ...... then someone ...... Word on the street is that it was Max ..... placed a little wagger on how fast the kiln would fall and what temp it would be at 9 am .... and wouldn't you know it ...... he won!!! 

Suzannah's birthday ...... which she didn't tell anyone about! But luckily her husband sent her over flowers and a nice box of chocolates from Ireland ...... and I say luckily because she shared the chocolates with us! 

Sarah drawing stingers out of a vitrograph ..... which I now know is a kiln on a wall with a hole in the bottom that allows you to heat up crucibles of glass and draw out glass stringers and cane. 

Me having a go.

Neko our daughter.......  Just because she is beautiful and Gab sent me this picture on my phone. CUTE!! 

Moulds out of the kiln and ready for de-moulding. I know people who use fiber-glass strands in their moulds but I have never actually tried it myself ...... it makes for one string mould!! These were single pour moulds using flint instead os silica and having the addition of the fibreglass strands. 

Shows the kiln wire used to strengthen the core poking out of the core cavity. This is a slow process of gently cleaning the mould mixture from around the wire and inside the core. Once this is out I will cut off the sprue and begin grinding and polishing back the surface of the clear glass to expose the core, which is a tree branch that passes though the stone. 

This cast is in black glass and shows the branch on the outside of the stone. It stands in contrast to the other casting in both colour and form, together I wanted them to speak about presence and absence, the experience of the now and memory of past.

I hit publish instead of save ...... so now you will have to wait for me to come back and fill in the captions for the next few images ..... as for right now I have to run, dinner is about to be served. 

Hope you are all great and loving life! 

Just a quick walk from the studio is small bay with a rock little beach. This is the view before you walk down the stone steps leading to the beach.

Stone steps.

View from the beach.

Class trip out to Dunbeath castle. They call the drive a keyhole drive due to the slow emerging image of the castle slowly revealing itself as you approach. Although we weren't able to tour the castle .... as it is still a privately owned house .... or castle ... the owners kindly allow Northland to tour then stunning gardens. 

View from the Victorian garden door. The front of the castle was built in the 14th century with the rear section, gardens and keyhole drive being designed and added in the 19th.  

Inside the victorian gardens

Each of the gardens is surrounded by a high wall ...... We had to make sure to close the door so rabbits didn't get it ....... I am not sure what kind of rabbits they have in Scotland that need a 3 meter stone fence to keep them out but I hope I never meet one! 

Wall and door of the Victorian gardens ....... looks a little like the secret garden ...... feels a bit like the secret garden inside. 

Some round spiky thistles in the garden ... Scotland has the most amazing varieties of thistles. It seems like every one you pick if different then the last.

Ebony and I sitting by the large egg that the owner of the castle drew up and had built.

Some local frozen cuisine and all this for only 1.19 pound

This seems to be the standard Scottish breakfast ..... not frozen like this one but our landlady is more then happy to cook you up a full breakfast of sausage, bacon, beans, mushroom, black pudding, tomatoes, toast, and I am sure I am forgetting something..... Let's just say that I'm not losing weight.   

Night out at the Bay View hotel

Having a few drinks with some of the locals.

After a few drinks.

After a few to many drinks.

Isabella working on her wax.

Wax ready to be invested. 

A gel-flex mould of a stone for my casting.

A band of packing tape around the mould makes a quick and easy seal for pouring my wax stone. 

Ready to pour my branch mould for my core. 

Shaun working on his mould getting it ready for the kiln.

Bubble bubble toil and trouble max didn't shave so he has stubble ..... and is making a gel-flex mould.  

More demo's

The mould of the left has been filled with refractory mix reinforced with kiln wire. I am getting my wax cleaned up and ready for mould making.

Refractory branch out of the gel-flex mould ready to be put inside of stone.

I made two mating stones one with the branch on the stone and the other with the branch through the mould. 

Part the Scottish class on sweets and chocolate ..... this is a little bit of a side class that has been running along side Angela's class.

Terracotta pots drilled out and ready for the kiln.

All packed and ready!!!