Monday 24 September 2012

Web Site and Nursery

The last few weeks I have been working almost exclusively on the new website.  It is still in development, but the main structure is now visible.

Most of the work has been done on filling the shop with information about glass.  There still is a lot to enter, but I feel that I am now over the most intense part of the work.

One interesting thing (to me) about the process of testing the site was my list of comments and queries.  On the first day I completed a page and a half of material.  On the second day, I almost filled one page. But the next three days I completed only half a page.  At the first the comments were about details of how to do things and the consequences of doing them.  Recently, the questions have become much more about the experience of the site both for me at the back of the site and for the user.  My viewpoint has moved from the detailed to the much broader view.  This is interesting to me because, I have thought my general approach was from the broad brush to the detail.

But now I need to think about other things.

I have had a nursery class come to the studio - not all at once - to see the way glass will be put together for their fused windows for Hagred's House in their playground.  They each also talked about the picture they had made for me to translate into the glass.


Thursday 20 September 2012

Stained Glass Supplies Ltd

I have been less active on this blog in the last months as I have been preparing for another change in my working life.



I have decided to take my practice toward gallery work rather than the restoration and architectural work that has dominated my life up to now.  And to support that activity, I have been preparing to open a shop supplying glass, advice, and services.

This is what has been behind the various construction activities that I have shown here since Christmas last year.  I have now recast the studio into two parts - shop and studio.


This is the entrance to the shop and studio on a dull day.



This area at the immediate entrance was filled today with Spectrum 96 frit, confetti, and stringer, so it does not look so bare as this.



This shows a corner of the cutting bench and some of the glass racks for S96 and stained glass, as well as the "office" section at the end.


One corner and the entrance to the glass studio are show in this picture.  The group of rods on the floor need to be tidied and possibly relocated, but they do for the time being.



The racks at the end are for pre-cut Bullseye, S96 and stained glass pieces.

Included in all this work has been the design brief for and then population of a new website and shop.  I knew there was a lot of work to this, but not how much.  The new site is at:
www.stained-glsss-supply.co.uk
Have a look around if you are interested.  And even better tell me of anything that does not look right.


Launch

The official launch of Stained Glass Supplies will be on the weekend of 6-7 October.  Those of you who can make it are invited to come for a gander, talk and some refreshments.

In addition, the whole of the building is opening the artist studios on Saturday and Sunday from 11- 4.  This is a great opportunity to see a variety of work and the ways and places in which the artists do their work.  Painting in a variety of styles, textiles, ceramics, photography, sculpture, glass working are all on show.  In addition there are drawing sessions and a treasure hunt.  And to keep you going, there is a cafe serving light snacks and refreshments.
http://www.stained-glass-supply.co.uk/

Monday 3 September 2012

Standing Stone

My glass "Standing Stone" is now installed at Ravenswood, in Kilmelford on Loch Melfort. 

View toward land

View over Loch Melfort

This finally is a good site for the piece to continue its life. With its references to pictish, celtic and christian symbols and cultures it is a statement about the changing cultures in the continuity of the landscape