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Coast Bauble

Regular price £39.50
Regular price Sale price £39.50
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Initially inspired by the Isles of Scilly, this range evolved from the amazing colours of the sea and shorelines around these fabulous islands. Standing on Tresco and looking across to Bryher you can see an array of colour bands, starting from the grass at your feet to sand, rocks, sea and then back to grass. Or from blue sky through the island colours to the sea. There is an infinite variety of colours, all framed by the sky and sea. Rocks, grass, sea-pinks, sand, pebbles, waves breaking, grass, old walls -endless.

I have tried to recreate the colours of the islands, more as a concept than feeling constrained by the actual colours. And although these pieces were initially inspired in glorious February sunshine on Pentle Bay, they have come to represent many different coastlines from Arran and its incredibly clear waters and rich golden rocks to Shaldon beach and its deep rich red sand and dimpsey sky.

 

To make these pieces, I start with a gather of clear glass from my furnace which is kept at a constant 1040 C and holds about 140 litres of molten glass, which has the consistency of runny honey. I then roll the hot glass [the parison] through powdered frits to give the background canvas colours. This is then heated back up to melt in the powder before rolling the glass parison through more lines of prepared colour to give the detail around the middle of the piece. Only once all the colour is on can the piece be blown into the final form. With baubles, once they have cooled enough, they are broken off the blowing iron before the hook is added.  When finished the piece is put into a kiln that is kept at a constant 500 degrees through the day. This is ramped down overnight to anneall everything I have made during the day. Once cold, we check them over and then sandblast them to give a matte finish.

PLEASE NOTE; all pieces vary and some will have BLUE at the top and AQUA at the bottom, or a little green or gold - it depends what we have been making and how the range and inspiration evolves. Our baubles are heavier than mass produced, machine made baubles. They aren't suitable for trees as a general rule, although the minis and diamonds may be fine with some trees. They do look great in windows, on stairs etc. 

Roughly 80 to 90mm diameter. Boxed with info card