September and October were pretty busy months and I gave priority to creating new glass over posting on my blog. These two pieces were both finished in September. 
Bringing Good News (Remembering Isaac Bignall) continued my series of technical challenges for 2023 and did result in some expensive off-cuts as the curve behind the bird's head was particularly difficult. I yielded and brought out the saw for the second attempt but the circular blade came off as soon as I started the motor. After a few attempts to get it back on and retain the tension on the wheels while tightening a series of screws with only two hands, I gave up and VERY carefully used multiple tiny cuts to carve out the space for the head. I would like to do another with a pale color and less texture for the background, and a stronger color for the head and wings ... 
Sunrise at The Lake was a commission for a bathroom window at a cottage. The panel allows light and seasonal colours to be drawn in from the outside while offering the privacy desired without closing the blind.
October pieces will be published soon!

Taking time for whimsy. 'Adventure' blends a hand-blown glass ornament by Asem Nada with some very happy glass. This small piece (8 x 11) is at the Galerie Old Chelsea, along with with my Evergreen Forest which was installed recently to celebrate a local organization which has, over a period of about ten years, saved ten forests in the area, ensuring they will be protected for generations to come and support wildlife corridors and local wildlife.

It has been really exciting to spend four consecutive days in my workshop! I did have to run errands, etc. each day so I appreciated each moment with 'Chess' playing in the background. The challenge in this piece was to make sure that the design flowed smoothly AND could be cut from one piece of glass so the random shapes in the original piece of glass were respected. The glass had multiple layers so the front looks very different from the back. When the glass is put in the window, the layers on the front and back merge and feel amazing! And for those who appreciate the abstract, I have zoomed in on the cat ....
As I cut the curves for this piece, I set the unused pieces to the side. Then I realized that I could create a negative image of this piece and hang the two pieces side-by-side. What do you think?

Every now and then I make a piece for myself. Crows have always been special to me. I found this bevel kit at least two years ago and it has been waiting patiently for the right background glass and the right moment.  The background glass has Adventurine running through it which creates life and sparkle within the movement. It has probably been in my carefully guarded stock of 'precious' glass for about ten years. I was actually looking for glass for another project when I rediscovered this piece and suddenly it was the crow's turn! The biggest challenge was having just enough glass for the project, some complex curves to cut (and grind!) and no margin for error. 

2023 is turning into a year of technical challenges which translates much longer time needed for designs to evolve and to cut, and sometimes re-cut the glass. These panels were inspired by a piece of ironwork I saw in a museum in London a number of years ago. Neither is anything like the ironwork whose multiple, flowing curves ended gracefully mid-air. Glass has it's own rules and the lines must always flow either into another or off the edge of the piece. Concept drawings quickly become suggestions and designs change right up until the last piece is cut. The circles in 'I Dared' were cut from Freemont glass which is hand-rolled, exotic, and intriguing. The paisleys in 'Dream Weaver' were cut from youghi which transitioned from nearly-clear, through white and pink, to the intense and dramatic reds and merge at one point almost into a yin-yang. 'I Dared' sold quickly at the Galerie Old Chelsea. Dream Weaver is at the Galerie now waiting for the right person on the right day.

How better to welcome Spring than with a look forward to the glorious days to come! First, I cut out an orange butterfly, then decided it needed a flower. There were some options in my stock for reds for the poppy but when I pulled out THIS red, everything changed. The attention really needed to be on the poppy so I set aside the butterfly and created a simple dragonfly using a chandelier crystal for the body and a tiny bead for the head. The background glass was my last remaining piece of green-on-green fracture streamer which has not been produced for at least five years. This is now available at Galerie Old Chelsea. The butterfly will have to wait for another day to alight on his flower.

The sun yesterday morning provided perfect lighting as I set up my 'waving hello window' to greet visitors arriving at the Galerie as we get ready to welcome Spring. My passion for capturing the gentle flow and movement of waves continues. The intense oranges in 'Blazing' merited a window of it's own and captures the closed patio of Restaurant Les Fougères covered in snow. What colour should I make next?

I seem to have rolled into the new year with my heart on my sleeve! I need more studio time!

I found a piece of goose glass in my stock of 'precious glass' and created another Benjamin Chee Chee style goose - this one is called Tiny Feet. Then I borrowed a design created by my sister over 20 years ago, simplified it (which did NOT make it easier to cut!) , and used some exotic youghi glass to convey the complex dynamics of relationships between sisters.  Both pieces are available for purchase at Galerie Old Chelsea. Taking a short break but will be back in my workshop in early December. I just need to find time in my evenings to update my blog!