There is so much variety when it comes to art glass that not everything fits into a nice neat little box. This is for those articles that are outside the box.
If you ask people what is Bristol is famous for, you will get a myriad of answers as this west country city is famous for many things. Most likely answers would include Isambard Brunel’s, Shipbuilding and the term ‘Shipshape and Bristol Fashion’ and the graffiti artist Bansky. Something that may not immediately spring to most…
Biba – The Iconic British Fashion Label Biba is an iconic fashion house synonymous with the swinging sixties and the Mod look of that time. The company was founded and run by Barbara Hulanicki and her husband Stephen Fitz-Simon. Barbara Hulanicki was born in Warsaw, Poland and was the daughter of a diplomat. She moved…
Born in 1912, Jackson Pollock was a world-famous American painter who is considered to be the ‘main man’ behind the abstract expressionist movement. Abstract expressionist paintings, like Jackson Pollock art, share several broad characteristics. They show forms not drawn from the real world and can often look chaotic. In particular, abstract expressionism often features gestural brush-strokes and…
Coloured glass ornaments are created using a variety of metal oxides. For those with ‘boffin leanings’ here are some of the metals that are used to create colourful art glass. Cadmium Sulfide Cadmium sulfide is used in the making of coloured glass to turn the glass into a beautiful shade of yellow. Gold Chloride Gold…
Glass is a bit of a conundrum… It is made with sand and yet is opaque It is strong and durable yet smashes easily It behaves like a solid but is actually a liquid. Glass is made from liquid sand and will always remain a (n extremely thick) liquid. That is why antique window…
If you have ever been lucky enough to visit the seashore near an area of relatively high human population, you might well have noticed—and perhaps took for granted—the plethora of brightly coloured glass “pebbles” that washed up with the surf, intermingling with nature’s own stones. These bits of glass are known as “sea glass” (or…
The history of glass making is as ancient as it is rich; it has been estimated that the first man-made glass was formed around 3000BC. Since these times, the basic formula for glass; using sand, lime, and plant ash may not have changed, but the techniques for forming it have been constantly evolving. Modern glass…
When one imagines large glass vases, it’s likely to create a mental picture of luxury. One might envision the beautiful object set on a pillar in a fine house or museum, either spilling over with ferns and flowers or left empty so that its painted beauty might speak for itself. It might surprise you, then,…
The other day I was looking through the glass vases results on Google. The first thing you notice is that they all seem to be peddling mundane, clear, factory-produced glass vases with about as much character and finesse as a nuisance telemarketer. There is of course a place in the World for clear dull Glass…