Coming up with new ranges isn’t always plain sailing.
Sometimes things don’t turn out quite as planned.
Sometimes they are better than expected (not a common occurrence).
There’s currently a new prototype on the block.
It’s based on the sky, and in particular – the ‘mackerel sky’ pattern that you get when the clouds are speckled across like fish scales.
Will’s been obsessing about the sky recently – he loves a good cloud, and good light, and he often takes pictures of it, and all it’s different colours and patterns.
He came up with the mackerel sky concept before he hot-footed it up to Scotland for glass deliveries, and we awaited with bated breath the result of the first vase.
Mary (Gingerlilly Cakes) and I oohed and aahed during the blowing process – the colours looked good, the idea was great. But nothing looks quite the same when it comes out of the annealer, so we wouldn’t know what it looked like until Will returned and we could see the results.
We asked him “how did the prototype turn out then?”
“Rubbish”, he said.
Well actually, I thought it was pretty nice. As did a customer who saw it online, and several others. But remember Will is looking for a certain result, certain colours, a high standard beyond us non-glass blowers, and ‘pretty nice’ just doesn’t cut it when it comes to a new range.
He did, as it happens, look quite pleased with the top inch of the vase. But that inch wasn’t enough.
Back to the drawing board.
So will there be more mackerel sky prototypes? Let’s hope so. Will always seems to be reaching for that next level, the next step to perfection. Naturally, nothing ever reaches his version of perfect, but it doesn’t mean he stops trying.
So the next time he tries it – if there is another time, then maybe there’ll be two inches of brilliance!
Anything that’s not simply perfect goes on sale in the workshop – where people can visit during the day on request.
So maybe you’ll spot a mackerel sky or another prototype that didn’t quite make it to the gallery. And watch out to see if the range ever graduates from a singular vase!