A few months ago I went on a glass fusing and slumping course in London. I finally picked up the resulting glassware when I visited my parents on the way back from my Christmas holiday. I was very pleased indeed with the results – all the pieces had come out much better than I had imagined or expected.
Six glass bowls waiting to be fired in the kiln
Above is what the glassware looked like last time I saw it, as it was sitting in the kiln waiting to be fired. It then had two firings, the first to fuse the various layers together, and a second to “slump” it into a mould to turn it into a bowl or vase.
Completed glass bowls
The dark green piece with the white dots has been slumped over a cylindrical former and flopped into something not unlike a draped handkerchief – I think it’s rather effective. The bowls have all come out very well I think. The colours aren’t quite how I’d imagined them – they’re rather softer and more subtle. Overall, I was delighted with how the pieces all came out – to the extent that I might actually have to go back and have another go, now that I know what I’m doing!
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Your finished bowls are amazing!
Thanks Fabienne. It was really gratifying how well some rather simple designs turned out. I now look at glass bowls at craft fairs in a completely different light – if you have access to the right tools and equipment, it’s remarkably easy!
Goodness Gillian, these are beautiful! You must keep going.