Glass-blowing

A while since I submitted a daily image - I think I lost my mojo, but, I feel it being restored.

A day off today (as well as yesterday but that was spent doing stuff around home). I decided to get out for a while without any idea what I was going to do. In the end I decided to go look at some cars - A Sunday car may be in order, but, it will have to be a bit special. The only ones I saw today were all way off the scale in terms of cost though.

While contemplating options there I pressed on to Bosworth Battlefield. I've found this a terribly hard place to photograph. After wandering around for a couple of hours I made my way back to where I had parked at Shenton Station (the end of the Battlefield Line) where the old station is now used as a Glass-Blowing Studio and gallery.

I stood an watched Richard (Golding) create amazing art with glass. He was commissioned by his good lady wife to make a special vase into which she could put the Poppies from the Tower of London. Having done one, he has been inundated with requests for at least 30 more. These are retailing for £150 each, and well worth every penny when you see the effort and skill that goes into making them.

Richard and Kaliegh (his assistant) gave me details of some of the aspects of blowing glass. The glass is heated to over 600Deg C. 
The colours are created by covering the glass with ground coloured glass - the starting colours are nothing like the finished item. More glass is then added to the surface to create the clear top layer - that is how they get the colour embedded under the surface.
Patterns are added by adding more glass either in blobs or lines which are then shaped and merged into the surface.

You can see one of the finished vases on the home page of his website stationglass.com along with many other examples of his work. Some come in at stunning prices and represent hours and hours of work.

There is actually little blowing involved - when it comes to creating the final blown item, a quick blow into the tube and then it is quickly blocked. The heat from the glass itself heats up the air inside causing to increase pressure and expand the glass. 


A few more images can be found here!