Guild of Glass Engravers Spring Special Newsletter 2021

spring special newsletter 2021

YEARS

1983 - 2018

35 YEARS OF BEING THE FIRST CHOICE

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In this Issue: JOHN KEATLEY THANKS TO OUR PATRON

MARK HOLFORD A COLLECTION OF STORIES

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JOSEPHINE HARRIS ART WAS ‘HER THING’

GREG SULLIVAN ENGRAVING IN WATERFORD

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LIGHT FROM DARKNESS

MICHAEL NATHAN OBITUARY

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THE DOWNING STREET COLLECTION PART 2

THE CHRIS AINSLIE SANDBLAST RESIST METHOD

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Thanks to our Patron, John Keatley We owe a great debt of gratitude to John Keatley, our retiring Patron. In a role previously occupied by HM Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, John has been a constant, wise and thoughtful leader. Quietly continuing to support the Guild, having previously already served as our President for the preceding ten years, he has been a great diplomat and always maintained a warm sense of humour.

As well as serving as our Patron, John has been the long-standing Patron of the Decorative Arts Society.

With a lifelong interest in and passion for finely designed and beautifully crafted objects he founded the Keatley Trust in 1968. His aim: to purchase the best and finest ceramics, glass, metalwork, woodwork, furniture and book bindings. The Trust lends these acquisitions to museums around the UK for the benefit and enjoyment of the public. Comprising almost 1,500 pieces, the Keatley Trust Collection reveals the history of twentieth-century Britain, through art. In John’s opinion, this century represents the period of greatest transformation of the lives of most people in the history of Britain, with the greatest advances in living conditions, education, health, life expectancy and prospects of the ‘ordinary man’.

Within John’s collection can be found glass art from many of the founder and current members of the Guild of Glass Engravers, including Laurence Whistler, David Peace, Peter Drieser, Simon Whistler, Sally Scott, Tracey Sheppard, Dominic Fondé, Lesley Pyke and many others. He is the most generous of Patrons both to individuals and to the Guild.

We offer him our heartfelt thanks, wish him very well in his retirement from this role and look forward to maintaining a lasting friendship.

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Mark Holford A message from our new Patron

Dear Guild Members I am very honoured to be invited to become your patron especially bearing in mind my predecessors. I hope that I will discharge the office in ways with which you all will be happy.

Covid has in some ways been a blessing for the glass community bringing about rapid unpredictable change. Zoom has enabled the sharing of knowledge, skill and the love of glass across not only the country but across continents. 18 months ago organising a lecture might have attracted 50 people once very six months. Many glass organisations are now achieving this every week. We all need to build on this to attract and educate more talented and imaginative glass artists, including engravers, who are then able to sell their work to an expanding audience. I see it as part of my role to help you achieve this. We should collaborate with as many glass organisations as we can.

As you may know I am a glass collector and Julia has asked me to write about my collection. So on the following pages is an article about my collecting. Also on the evening of Wednesday 12th May I will be giving an online (Zoom) lecture entitled “A Collection of Stories (Especially Engraved Ones)” featuring all my engraved glass. In it I will ask for your help to identify some pieces.

Finally if any member wishes to contact me, please feel free to do so.

Warm regards

Mark Holford mark.holford@azurialopera.com

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(Some of) Mark Holford’s Glass Collection

A Collection of Stories I started my collection of contemporary glass when I was two years old: I was given a commemorative Coronation goblet, by my mother, which I still have today. The goblet was made by Whitefriars and engraved by W J Wilson.

This was followed in the 1970s by collecting a few pieces of 18th and 19th century glass including a pair of sweet meat dishes purchased from a reputable London dealer and given to me as a wedding present: described as “1795 Irish Sweet Meat Dishes”, they later turned out to be 20th century fakes – discovered when I tried to sell them as a way of enhancing my modern glass collection.

In the same period I also acquired two or three pieces of modern glass, although not for any particular reason other than I liked the glass. I still own these pieces today. In the mid-1980s I started to travel regularly to Scandinavia on business and it was at this time that I began to buy small glass bowls made by Kosta Boda, Hadeland etc. It was the colour and shape of these that attracted me.

Pennell and Angela Thwaites, both of whom have subsequently been surprised to be reintroduced to their pieces.

In fact Ronald Pennell denied ever making the piece which subsequently resulted in him inscribing his book with a charming cartoon of him pondering the authorship of this piece. In addition I

In the mid 1990s my wife and I went to Geneva to visit her best friend who took us to meet her friends Stephen Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg. This was my first major purchase and the inspiration for my serious collecting. They remain friends today, not least because they now live in Wales.

I increased my collection when I purchased 10 pieces for £500 from another collector who had fallen on hard times. These included early works by Ronald

Whitefriars Coronation goblet engraved by W J Wilson

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acquired from the same source what is arguably the most important piece in my collection at least from a historical perspective, a small abstract sculpture by Harvey Littleton, the founder of the modern art glass movement in the early 1960’s, although this piece dates from the 1980’s.

About 2000 I discovered the Galerie Internationale de Verre at Biot, near Nice in the South of France. Since that time I have from time to time purchased pieces from the Galerie and its owner, Serge Lechacyzynski, has become a friend and an influencer of my collection. My wife, Sarah, and I used to run an opera festival, Les Azuriales Opera, in the South of France, and we asked Serge whether he would provide us with an advertisement for our programme which he gladly offered to do. Illustrated in the advertisement was a David Reekie piece which I bought otherwise unseen straight off the advertisement before the show opened!

The opera festival has become a source for commissioning work which I consider to be an important part of a collector’s responsibility. In 2005 Les Azuriales decided to commission each year a work by a glass artist to celebrate the first prize in its singing competition. These have proved to be extremely popular with the winners. In addition in 2006 we commissioned 40 pieces as “corporate gifts” to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

As part of my commissioning I have also encouraged my company to commission glass to celebrate anniversaries and retirement of directors. In the last six months they have

purchased / commissioned four works including a large charger made by Carl Nordbruch and engraved by Peter Furlonger.

My first commission, however, was for what I intended to be a chandelier to illuminate the hall in our recently restored (previous) house in London. I was on the point of giving up following a rather disappointing response to various advertisements about wishing to commission this piece, when I was approached

by Richard Jackson and Sally Fawkes. Following a visit to my house Richard said he was interested in producing the work but he said “You don’t need a chandelier; you need an installation.” I took the plunge not knowing what to expect. We were wonderfully surprised when he produced a 5 piece “sculpture” that now adorns the

From 2003 to 2014 I ran the glass section of a charity art exhibition which took place in the Royal College of Art each year raising more than £100,000 in one night in aid of a children’s hospice, Shooting Star CHASE. The charity received the gallery commission whilst the artists received their normal price. This was an admirable approach as I do not believe in asking artists to do work for free unless they volunteer to do so. The exhibition enabled me to buy works from many British artists. For its last three years I

‘ Time held me green and dying Though I sang in my chains like the sea’ (from Fern Hill by Dylan Thomas) Engraved by Peter Furlonger on a charger made by Carl Norbruch

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ceiling of the hall of our current house. Surprisingly it works even better in the narrower shorter space of our current house. It echoes the two themes of our lives, namely my wife running an opera festival and my collecting glass.

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sponsor some initiatives and focus on my vision to increase the number of collectors to make a more vibrant market especially in the UK. The organisations behind glass makers and craft in general are not well funded and we need to find ways to change that.

Prince of Wales Investiture Goblet engraved by Peter Dreiser

sold £40,000 worth of glass each night. The support that I received from Britain’s glass makers was tremendous. I can safely say that I have seldom met a glass maker who I did not like and many of the artists have become my friends. In particular Richard Jackson, Sally Fawkes and Katharine Coleman helped every year to choose the artists and run the show on the night. Ronald Pennell was a major contributor over the years.

I have about 200 pieces, large and small, which come mainly from British artists but includes Scandinavian, Czech, French, Italian, Russian, Australian and American artists. It includes engraved, slumped, cast, blown etc. I tend to avoid mixed media. I prefer that the artist has physically taken part in the making process rather than designed it and had someone else make it, although I realise that glass making is a collaborative exercise.

The collection includes engraved objects by Katharine Coleman MBE, Dominic Fondé, Peter Furlonger, Alison Kinnaird MBE, John Luxton (Stuart) Charmian Mocatta, Ronald Pennell, Lesley Pyke, Nancy Sutcliffe and WJ Wilson (Whitefriars) as well as my Royal and Family collection of ‘anonymous’ engravers. Nancy Sutcliffe along with Katie Huskie executed my most important commission for the Wimbledon Tennis Club. The work consists of two 80cm engraved discs , displayed in a very prominent position in the Club House where they can be seen by all the players - and the visitors to the Royal Box. It is an eclectic collection without any particular theme.: the main thing that drives me is the trite but true remark: “I buy what I like”. They are usually

In 2006 my mother died leaving me a collection of engraved goblets, mostly celebrating Royal occasions. I had not paid these much attention until I was threatened with a visit by a group of American collectors. Thinking that I should do some research I was delighted to find the Prince of Wales investiture goblet had been engraved by Peter Dreiser, Many of the other pieces, I have no information about.

More recently my collection has been curtailed by a lack of space and the order of my wife: “one in, one out!” Instead I try to

‘The Apple’, engraved by Ronald Pennell

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abstract sculptural pieces although I do from time to time buy interesting vessels. I love the texture of glass and representations of human forms. My love of glass is connected to my ‘eye’ which has been trained over many years as a reasonably competent amateur photographer: I seek strong but simple forms and colours.

Seeking to encourage people to start collecting glass in one of the CHASE exhibition’s catalogues, I summed up my philosophy as follows: With work that ranges from representational to abstract, pleasing to challenging, and with pieces to suit all budgets, look for shapes you like, colours that excite you, stories that stir you and shadows that entice you.

‘A fonte puro pura defluit aqua’ (Translation:from a pure fountain pure water flows).

Engraved by Charmian Mocatta on cast optical glass by Colin Reid

On reflection, however, I have realised that the pieces I value most have a story attached to them – and most of them do.

PS I also collect hats and wine!

Mark Holford

‘Primavera’ by Nancy Sutcliffe - a brand new acquisition

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Josephine Harris Fellow Emeritus Art was ‘her thing’ Josephine Harris, a gifted glass engraver and painter whose life was shaped by her deep love of art, died aged 89 on 28th September 2020. Josephine was a much loved founder member and Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers, who learnt her glass engraving techniques initially from Peter Dreiser at Morley College, from

1969, and later taught her own classes at Isleworth College.

Tracey Sheppard, who first learnt glass engraving from Josephine’s classes in Isleworth and later followed in her footsteps to become Master of the Art Workers Guild, here reflects on Josephine’s life: ***** After an AWG Master’s Supper in 2011 Bro. Rachel Matthews made a note in her journal of a conversation between her guest and PM Josephine: “What made you choose to stay in London rather than move out to the country?”

Quick as a flash Josephine replied, “It was the puddles; the reflection of the city in the puddles….it’s so interesting”.

This tiny gem captures something of Josephine’s essence. Her sense of wonder at the world around her and her ability to surprise and delight others, sharing the magic. Life with her was never dull.

Born in Plymouth on 16th February 1931, she was the only child of Percy and Muriel Harris. Her father was a regular soldier and the family led a peripatetic life. They spent time in York, where, whilst still of school age, Josephine attended life classes at the School of Art. Much of her education happened at home with a governess but when the family finally settled back in Saltash near Plymouth she went to Moorfield School. She clearly recalled the excitement of wearing a uniform at last and the advice the Headmistress gave her - “Art is your thing; get on with it”. She did! There followed four years at Plymouth

‘Great Storm’ by Josephine Harris, Fellow Emeritus

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Art College where she specialised in illustration under William Mann, A.R.C.A., who impressed upon her the importance of careful observation.

Her first job, working as a guide and lecturer at Plymouth Art Gallery brought her into contact with school children. She experienced the joy of listening to and inspiring them, something she continued to do for the rest of her life. Children of all ages were entranced by her.

Moving to London in 1958 in the hope of securing a place at the Royal College, Josephine took lodgings in Melville Road, Barnes with Cdr and Mrs Holman for two weeks – she stayed for 30 years. Sadly her place at the College did not materialise and instead Josephine found work as PA to the Keeper of Schools at the Royal Academy, first with Sir Henry Rushbury and then, from 1964 with Peter Greenham. Her tiny office up a precipitous flight of stairs became a haven for students who could be sure of a cup of tea and a listening ear amongst the pot plants. A number of them became lifelong friends.

She frequently returned to her beloved West Country visiting family and friends and spending time drawing and painting the landscape, its windswept trees a strong feature of her work on paper and later on glass. There was no doubt though that Josephine loved London, the galleries and museums, the theatre and the lights of the city at night. She learnt to drive and relished waving at Eros whilst spinning around Piccadilly. She never quite lost the habit of taking her

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hands off the wheel to wave or point something out.

Encouraged by colleagues and students and spurred on by the atmosphere at the RA Josephine drew and painted at every opportunity. On Wednesday afternoon, when it was closed, friends who owned a flower shop would lend her the key and she spent many hours drawing the intricacies of flower form and learning “not to lose sight of the whole”. She became a member of the Royal Watercolour Society (1967 -1974) and the New English Art Club, exhibited with the Society of Women Artists and regularly showed in the RA Summer Exhibition.

A visit to an exhibition of engraved glass by Laurence Whistler changed her life. She had always been interested in rendering the play of light in her work. Here was a medium which relied entirely upon light and she was captivated by it.

Joining a part-time class at Morley College taught by Peter Dreiser, she met and made firm friends with other converts, joining the newly formed Guild of Glass Engravers (1975) and later serving on the Council. In 1993 she was elected Fellow and was subsequently made Fellow Emeritus in recognition of all that she had achieved and contributed. Keen to pass on her engraving skills she taught part-time in adult education at Isleworth College. She was an inspirational teacher who was full of enthusiasm, but woebetide you if she felt you were falling short, or letting yourself or your work down. She was possessed of that most potent combination in a teacher: high standards and high praise.

In 1976 she took the huge step of giving up her job at the RA and became a free-lance artist and glass engraver finding studio space in a converted stable yard in Church Road, Barnes. She loved the mixture of studios and workshops there –revelling just as much in the engine oil and rags of the garage mechanic as she did in the fine paper and beguiling tools of the book binder.

At the GGE Conference in 1993 Josephine delivered a lecture entitled “GLASS matters. Glass MATTERS”. She told her audience that she “used ink and poster paint in a few strokes to create the image on the surface of the glass and then began working with the engraving tools, without slavishly following the guide marks.”

This lively, direct often spontaneous approach on a material not given to easy correction or erasure sometimes, by her own admission, got her into difficulties! More often than not though she triumphed, developing her own unique style, language and technique, responding to shape and subject with equal gusto. She made pieces that celebrated the English landscape and weather.

In ‘Blizzard’ we are exposed to the full force of the elements, feeling the winter chill- a small piece of glass imbued with great atmosphere and poetry. ‘Great Storm’ records the terrible destruction of 1987 with terrific vigour. Her sense of humour is apparent in ‘Raining Cats and Dogs’ where felines and canines descend to earth in Mary Poppins style suspended from umbrellas. Her love of theatre and carnival was a source of inspiration and jesters and players danced joyfully around pieces often combined with her

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own spirited, fluid and flamboyant lettering.

Flourished inscriptions, topped with pennants and flags, or dates commemorating important family occasions or public celebrations often occupied her workbench.

Frequently working to commission she produced many important formal pieces. A large pedestal bowl marking the Centenary of Lloyds of London, pieces for the Tradescant Trust and the Museum of Garden History and many others were glorious in their concept and composition. There were architectural projects too: among them a new door for St Mary’s Church, Barnes, in memory of Viera Gray, and magnificent panels commemorating the Punjab Frontier Force in St Luke’s, Chelsea. Josephine said that “Her greatest enjoyment was to use the glass to celebrate, or to commemorate, and to capture the spirit of the occasion.” She unquestionably succeeded.

In 1981, proposed by Peter Greenham, she was elected to the Art Workers Guild. She loved it enjoying the spirited debates, excited by the exchange of ideas and the talents, skills and rich experience of the Brethren - her second family- dubbing them “kindred spirits”. She delighted in the history and traditions, something she often referred to as “the root” of things but was very clear about the need to move thoughtfully forwards, fostering and encouraging new members. In 1997 she became Master. It was a role and responsibility which she took seriously and executed deftly, lightly and with immense charisma.

Engraved for the Tradescant Trust by Josephine Harris, Fellow Emeritus

In 1991 Josephine had taken another leap moving from lodgings into her own flat in White Hart Lane which rapidly became a box of delights to visit. She filled it with family photos and treasures as well as works by friends and colleagues – and skip finds (the coffee table in the cellar was a fine repurposed cable drum). The garden or “Cabbage Patch” (which never grew a vegetable) was a place of sanctuary. A brilliant hostess, Josephine always insisted on “feeding the inner man” and “Tea, tea, tea!”

gaze there was no escape, nor was one desired, as she made you feel as if everything in your life mattered to her. There was a magical quality to time spent in her company. A truly remarkable woman, immensely talented, the finest mentor, dearest of friends and utterly unique.

Tracey Sheppard

Josephine had a particular way with the English language and a unique timbre, often conducting her speech with her hands. Always elegant, loving sparkle, she owned an enviable collection of berets- one for absolutely every occasion. She had a heart-warming smile and bright, all-seeing eye. Once caught in the intensity of her

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Greg Sullivan Conference Lecture 2020 Engraving in Waterford Our own GGE Fellow Greg Sullivan kindly gave us an interesting, and well illustrated, talk on his career in Waterford for our 2020 Conference Lecture delivered for the first time via Zoom. Greg began with a short history of how Waterford began as a centre for glass making and engraving.

The Penrose family had the original business which produced soda glass in the 1800s, but that had been closed for nearly 100 years before Waterford Crystal was begun.

In 1947, Czech immigrant Karel (Charles) Bačík established a glass works in Waterford.

Skilled crystal workers were not available in Ireland so continental Europeans were used. He was aided by fellow countryman and designer Miroslav Havel. Mr Havel created a production process from scratch, recruited skilled craftspeople from traditional glassmaking areas of Europe, set up training and apprenticeship programmes for Irish personnel, and designed new product ranges. Havel visited the National Museum to make detailed drawings of their collection of original Waterford glass to try to create a kind of

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Josef Cretzan by Greg Sullivan - wheel engraved portrait with coloured glass detail, 10” high

continuity with the past, while serving the needs of contemporary consumers and working according to modern factory production.

The new factory progressed and a move to a larger site in Johnstown, nearer to the city centre and the gasworks, was necessary due to increased growth. Here there were old style wheel engraving machines, and each engraver had their own recognisable style within the constraints of repeated designs. Mr Havel had his own studio where he produced his skilful designs, plus there was a small sandblasting area, a design area and also a studio for the other engravers.

Mr Havel’s equivalent in the blowing department was Josef Cretzan, a Romanian master blower, who could produce pieces to Mr Havel’s requirements. Later in his career, Greg was to engrave a commemorative piece of Mr Cretzan for his son David.

Greg began his own long association with Waterford as an Apprentice Engraver in 1985.

At that time, the factory was producing many prestigious trophies for famous sportsmen and women. There was an important division at Waterford Crystal called ‘World Sports’ and these trophies were also an excellent marketing tool for Waterford.

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The Waterford engravers were encouraged to be creative during the time when they were not doing official pieces. Tom Hayes was the chief engraver at the time. One of Greg’s colleagues, David Purcell, was working on a piece engraved with the 7 Dwarfs. Greg feels he learned a lot from this downtime creativity. While trophy work always took priority, the lighter hearted pieces were encouraged. Greg has always particularly enjoyed producing pieces that include some humour.

Some Waterford works were individual pieces or short run editions. A particularly impressive piece was an engraved version of the Portland Vase which was produced to complement a Wedgwood ceramic version.

Waterford Glass Ltd having acquired Wedgwood in 1986, Waterford and Wedgwood sometimes would produce pieces in collaboration. On one occasion Wedgwood designed 10 figurative pieces and 10 Waterford engravers made one each.

Greg’s life-long friend, Master Engraver Eamonn Hartley, was responsible for a number of limited-edition pieces (these could be editions of as many as 2500). He was skilled at producing these speedily, using a combination of sandblasting then drill and wheel engraving.

Another colleague, Roy Cunningham, was expert at capturing imagery which could give a good 3D effect without needing to do very deep carving.

Greg and his fellow engravers needed to learn to work quickly and accurately and often used shortcuts that gave good effects.

Various themes were popular at Waterford. For a while quite a lot of religious imagery was used and later there was Shakespearean inspired imagery such as a limitededition Falstaff piece. At the much larger Kilbarry factory many people were involved on the limited editions and apprentices could practice and hone their skills on any reject pieces.

After completing his 5-year apprenticeship, Greg fancied trying some unofficial portraits.

Officially, Greg’s first portrait was of American Football star Ozzie Newsome, but he had been practicing with a portrait of W. B. Yeats from an old Irish £20 note which was only about

seen in the 2020 Spring Special). The mechanical work Greg says is more difficult than engraving figures because machinery needs to be accurate.

For the Eddie Lawson piece he used a lead wheel for polishing, which is tricky but can be used when acid polishing is not an option. Photos of Greg in action may show him with a hard pencil behind his ear. He finds this ideal for drawing on pieces as he goes along!

At the Kilbarry works the engraving studio was upstairs with good constant northern daylight and a grey wall as a background. Greg found this an ideal workspace. It was here that he was asked to engrave the logo on a Trophy for Baileys and

Old Irish £20 note with portrait of W.B.Yeats, engraved by Greg Sullivan on 3 x 7” crystal block

an inch high and very challenging. This was created using a combination of sandblasting and wheel engraving. His official qualifying piece was of overlapping track and field athletes designed so all the imagery and figures fitted well together.

One of his Craft Membership pieces for the GGE in the 1990s had an image of the motorcyclist Eddie Lawson (as

in 1992 he was asked to engrave the Waterford Castle sponsored Arkle Chase Trophy. This was an awkward piece to engrave because it was made in one piece, but Greg had this repeated job for a few years.

When Greg was in his 8th-10th year he was fascinated by the idea of refraction and reflection.

He designed a piece with a clown on the front and back, appearing as if he were looking into a mirror. This led to an

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entertaining series entitled ‘Clowning around’ which he found was a good creative relief from serious trophies.

Sometimes these light-hearted pieces became limited editions.

Greg has always been a big fan of Norman Rockwell and likes to create his own pieces inspired by Rockwell’s illustrations. He also enjoys designing Christmas pieces on which his little mouse motif Squiggle always makes an appearance. One of his Christmas designs was a limited edition Cashs Crystal of Ireland piece of Father Christmas in a rocking chair, on a bowl that rocks.

Sometimes the unofficial pieces that Waterford engravers created led to further official works. When the snooker player Stephen Hendry completed his 100 centuries at the Crucible, some of the engravers wanted to celebrate this, although Waterford did not have an

‘Where’s that?’ One of Greg’s Christmas pieces featuring ‘Squiggle’ under Santa’s chair - 10” high vase (photo by B.Bergman)

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‘Send in the clowns’ by Greg Sullivan - 7” high flat sided vase, wheel engraved front and back

interest in snooker trophies at that time. The work did lead to Waterford producing official trophies eventually.

The founder of the Waterford design department, Mr Havel, had trained all the engravers but in the 1980s and 90s engraving took a bit of a downturn. This was because works produced in the sculpting department were easier to see at a distance so became popular for presentations. Gradually more and more logos and lettering were being done by sandblasting too. This meant the engravers needed to become skilled in rather more unusual styles of work. One of Greg’s most challenging pieces was commissioned by US Tobacco. This was to be presented to a retiring director and Greg worked his longest ever day (7am-11pm) to get this completed. The whole piece involved 4 portraits, 6 racing cars, 26 logos plus all sorts of

imagery relating to UST sponsorships. Greg did the lower half of the trophy (working on it for about 3 weeks) and Master Engraver Pat Brophy engraved the portraits.

This was produced on the factory floor in an area of the factory where tourists could visit, and the lighting was not great.

One of the pieces Greg enjoyed engraving, Accademia Bridge, was based on Steuben’s Moby Dick and inspired by his honeymoon destination, Venice but his forte is commemorative work. After 9/11 he produced work to show solidarity with the US public. He used a piece shaped like a firefighter’s helmet with 3 figures engraved on it. This raised about 10,000 dollars for the fund.

In 2002 he engraved a large vase with 10 athletes that raised a similar amount at a fundraising auction at the Waldorf Astoria in New York for the

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Greg at work on ‘The Players Championship’ trophy

Special Olympics World Games held in Ireland in 2003.

By 2010 Waterford had gone into a brief receivership and Greg had set up his own home studio. He still does some work for the current Waterford Crystal out of his own studio and has had some interesting challenges. Having engraved the trophy, he sadly missed out on a trip to The Players Championship in Florida to engraving the winner’s name at the event in person.

Greg developed a really interesting piece for the MOD70 trimaran race involving trophies with interchangeable boats that could be presented to the winners. Another award was created out of 3 separate pieces that fitted together to look like a

turbine at the presentation and were then split to give to the winners.

Greg seems to enjoy a complicated challenge. The Parade Ring has 6 engraved horses on top and 3 sculptured jockeys on the base and another similarly challenging piece was a horse engraved on a trophy for J.P. MacManus. One fascinating piece Greg described as having 4 dimensions because it is hinged and can move and is shaped as a tricycle. Unicorn Carousel is another amazing work that moves, and it is a complicated piece with 3 parts (the two upper pieces rotating).

The World Cycling Federation Trophy which Greg engraved in 2019 is another cycling themed piece. Each hoop represents a

single cyclist in the team, but, as a very fragile piece that presented difficulties for shipping, it had to be redesigned.

In 2019 Greg took part in an exhibition of the Glass Engraving Network. For this a glass designed like the body of a Stradivarius violin was used, with a base the shape of a musical note. This piece is engraved with members of a string quartet (as seen in the 2020 Spring Special).

Greg has come a long way from being the child who first visited the Waterford factory on a school trip in the 1970s and who admired the golfing trophies at home that his father had won, but which he was not allowed to touch. Fortune favoured him

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Special Olympics 12” vase - with 10 athletes wheel engraved by Greg Sullivan (photo by T. Murphy)

with an opportunity to join Waterford Crystal as an apprentice and the long years learning his skill taught him what he needed to become a Master Engraver himself.

Having become an expert in working on the 33% lead crystal originally commonly used at Waterford, he has moved with the times and learned to work on sculptural pieces and on harder materials like optical glass. His own work is now an inspiration for younger engravers. He describes himself as still having fun and his work certainly shows this to be true.

Sue Burne

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‘Unicorn Carousel’ 11” high rotating sculpture, cut and engraved by GS.

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Light from Darkness

Our hearts go out to all who have suffered during the last year due to the global pandemic and especially to those who may have lost loved ones.

Members’ Engravings from the time of COVID-19

We couldn’t meet together other than on Zoom or Skype.

Despite this we attended classes and lectures which were delivered using new technology and we even held our annual Conference and AGM using Zoom. Fortuitously this meant that folk attended who hadn’t been easily able to previously.

Your council is planning more online exhibitions but we couldn’t put on any physical exhibitions of engraved glass.

So for the Spring Special we have asked our members to send in images of any work which has had its gestation during the last, very very strange, year.

Here are just some of your responses. Thank you to the artists for sending them to us to create this exhibition in print.

So sorry we could not include them all.

Alison Kinnaird MBE Fellow - Scotland From Midlothian Alison says “In ‘Lockdown 2020’ (left) I think everyone will recognise the emotions shown in the figures in the windows after this past difficult year but ‘The Singer’ (below) shows a hopeful image of emotional and creative freedom.

‘Lockdown 2020’ 50cm x 26cm x 15cm engraved glass, LED lighting (photo by Robin Morton).

‘The Singer’, 2020, 35cm x 25 x 8cm engraved glass, enamel, LED lighting (photo by Shannon Tofts)

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James Denison-Pender Fellow - Edinburgh From Balerno near Edinburgh James has sent images of two works: ‘Children of Kampong Phluk’ (left) and ‘The Pagodas of Samkar’ (front cover). Both works are stipple engraved on two sheets of optical crystal 25 x 13cm, each engraved on both sides and mounted on a wood and perspex stand.

Kampong Phluk is a 'floating' fishing village on the Tonle Sap River, which flows between the Tonle Sap Lake and the Meekong River at Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Most of the inhabitants are Vietnamese, who came to Cambodia when Vietnam intervened in the fight against the Khmer Rouge. The river is remarkable because it flows in different directions at different times of the year.

The village of Samkar stands on a man made lake south of Inle Lake in Burma. The pagodas, partly submerged, seem to grow out of the water. An oxcart takes supplies to the village from the boats which have come from the market.

Nicholas Rutherford Fellow - London This work by Nicholas is drill engraved on a cased glass plate and is entitled ‘Flowering of Knowledge’ (right).

The plate is a tribute to Gregor Mendel (1822-1884), pioneer of genetics, who was born in Silesia and experimented with breeding pea plants at the Augustinian St Thomas's Abbey in Brno.

Either side of his portrait are green pea and white pea plants. At the top, seeds merge into the chromosomes that carry the genetic code of DNA molecules.

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GGE SPRING SPECIAL

Suzanne Oswald - Overseas Associate Fellow - USA Suzanne says, “Hello from Pennsylvania USA. Although vaccines are being administered at record pace, most of my family is still waiting to qualify for a waiting list. All of my sale events have been and continue to be cancelled since March of 2020. I have been working on new ideas, images and cleaning/organizing my studio. I have also been trying to improve my social media exposure in hopes of attracting a wider audience when this Covid cloud lifts. Instagram has been helpful in finding glass artisans all over the world and its been uplifting to see so many doing such amazing work.

My recently completed works have been very intricate and labor intensive. Sea Turtles (right) was made from a large beautiful piece of handblown glass I found at Brimfield Antique Flea Market, a very large venue in Massachusetts.

Because of the roundness of the form the turtles were cut out of the stencil material, applied, then the detail cut out while on the vase. Especially now, I am amazed at the light and reflective qualities that sandblasting a glass surface can create. As long as I have been doing this, I realize I actually know very little and look forward to learning so much more! Thank you and best wishes for a safe and healthy year.”

Greg Dietrich - Overseas Craft Member - Mexico From Cozumel Island off the Yucatán Peninsula, Greg has sent us more images of his colourful cameos.

‘Purple Passion’ (below) - “I am an engraver who also is a glassblower, so I can make my own blanks.

This piece is my first ever using a purple interior. I will be using the purple again, no doubt. The outer layer is an opalescent white, a different engraving quality than an enamel white.”

‘Lilies From Heaven’ (above)- “I have always been fascinated with this color combination...green/white/ black, great contrasts. The crazy thing is I made this vase probably 20 years ago, but never got inspired to engrave it until 2020. Thanks Lockdown!”

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APRIL 2021

Dominic Fondé Overseas Fellow - Japan From Kobe Dominic writes: “With all the unexpected free time in the last year due to shows being cancelled because of Covid-19, I was able to find the time to explore stipple engraving and indulge my interest in miniature artworks. I thought you would find these two portraits of interest. With limited access to a blowing studio during the last year I took to engraving on the lenses of magnifying glasses that I found in the local 100Yen store. (For those who don't know a 100Yen store in Japan is equivalent to something like Poundland). I began working from old family photographs, hence the portrait of my mother when she was young, then in response to the global pandemic began a series of portraits of people in masks. Each of these portraits is just 9.5cm in diameter.”

Portrait of my mother - Dominic Fondé Portrait of Alan J Poole 2020 (Photo by Yasutaka Akane) (Photo by Yasutaka Akane)

Tracey Sheppard Fellow - Hampshire From Winchester Tracey says, ‘This is the design proposal for a window for the chancel in Holy Cross Church, Binstead on the Isle of Wight (left).

It is painted with gouache and crayon on a richly textured, densely black paper. I have spent a good deal of time over recent months working this up into a full-scale cartoon using B grade pencil and graphite sticks on a heavy tracing paper. Each panel measures @ 135 cm x 35 cm. Very soon I shall be able to begin the engraving process - a combination of sandblast, acid etching and drill.

It was not difficult to find ideas for the design.

Situated very close to the shore line and with a stream coursing along the boundary of the church yard I felt that water should be central to the proposal. It has been absorbing attempting to capture the movement and the play of light on the waves and creating a sense of space and a world beyond, looking out towards the horizon.

The parish asked me to focus on the theme of light.

Little did we know back in 2019 when discussions began, how very relevant that would become!

Focusing on this project and its central themes has been a positive and up-lifting process during these very dark times.

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GGE SPRING SPECIAL

Junko Eager Associate Fellow - Glasgow Junko says, “I have not been very productive this winter. Feeling fed up of another lockdown. But I attach a photo of a vase I engraved in September 2020.

'Diving Woman' is 13cm diameter and 25 cm high and is mainly copper wheel engraved. The glass vase is not very thick, so I was careful not to engrave too deeply.

I have also been following Greg Sullivan's online wheel engraving courses. It has been fascinating to watch a master engraver making fabulous cuts with no time at all. (But doing it by myself is a complete different matter!)

Sue Burne - Associate Fellow - Somerset From Somerset Sue writes: ‘This was engraved to go into last year's cancelled South West Branch exhibition in Durlston.

It has a bit of a history to it. A while ago I spotted this pretty piece of glass in a charity shop in Burnham-on-Sea a sleepy seaside place in Somerset. I don't normally buy art glass to engrave, however this prism shaped piece was damaged along an edge and it was going cheap, so I thought I might be able to do something with it. I spotted a signature underneath (after I'd begun engraving as it was faint) and I thought it said PA Art 96 but couldn't find any link online with those initials nor did a search of that mark help me find a maker so after some time researching I'd given up.

But a few days ago I posted this image on some glass forums and two people suggested a name so I emailed the possible maker with the photo and a photo of the signature. I explained that if he did not like the fact I'd added to his piece then it would not be exhibited nor sold on. He is the maker...his name is Ed Kachurik from Pennsylvania USA (PA being the state abbreviation) and he loves the feathers I engraved to remove the damage. He's happy to let it be used by me. So at this year's South West Branch Exhibition I will ensure he is credited as the original maker and responsible for its lovely colours and shape. He is a renowned hot glass maker in the USA.

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APRIL 2021

Vanessa Cavallaro Overseas Craft Member - Italy Vanessa Cavallaro’s workshop is in Altare, a small town in inland Liguria Italy, whose history is closely tied to the production and engraving of glass which was introduced at the end of the 19th century by a Bohemian master artisan who had fallen in love with a local girl.

Vanessa has sent us an image of her work which has been selected for inclusion in the Milan Triennale exhibition, in partnership with the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri.

Vitrea : Contemporary Italian Glass Art, curated by Jean Blanchaert, will hopefully open in early May 2021 (dates to be confirmed). This exhibition, celebrating Italian mastery in glass has already suffered delays due to the global pandemic. In Italy glassworks are struggling to survive and glassmakers, designers and artists see an uncertain future. But it is hoped that prestigious events such as this can give optimism in the current situation.

This exhibition shows expressive glass art which courageously looks towards new forms of beauty, whilst safeguarding traditional techniques.

Vanessa’s work is a magnificent cut, polished and wheelengraved vase in the Renaissance style, 60 cm high x 20cm wide (left).

Louise Hawkins Craft Member - Cotswolds From the Gloucestershire, Louise has sent an image of one of her latest works ‘Anemone’, a sand carved bowl 14.5 x 6.5cm (right) and writes: “As we emerge from a Winter in lockdown my current work explores the abundance of new growth and renewal that is found in nature at Spring time. A consequence of this year’s restrictions on our usual working processes led me to reconnect with and extend my drawing practice.

Each piece aims to be an intimate portrait exploring the natural forms and reflecting the essence of the flowers and plants around us that are entwined with the patterns of the seasons and with our lives.

As always I am fascinated by the level of intense observation, precision and control that is required to achieve, in glass, the effortless and random appearance of nature.”

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APRIL 2021

Chris Cole - Craft Member - Devon Chris says. ‘The inspiration for this piece by came from a discussion at my local pub, (when we were allowed to be in the garden). A mouse was seen scurrying across the pub garden and the onlookers were trying to decide whether it was a Field mouse or a Dormouse.

As a result, when I got home I decided to see if I could identify it through Google which I did. However, on studying the images of various mice I thought they would make a good subject for engraving and I happened to have a 9 inch crystal vase that I had bought in a charity shop a few years ago. The result was this engraving in the photo (right).’

Jan Sims - Lay Member - Hampshire Jan has sent us an image of work in progress on her large ‘Owl and the Pussycat’ dish. Jan says “I bought this dish a long time ago at one of the GGE annual conferences, because I loved the colours. It has sat on a shelf since then, as I didn’t know what to engrave on it and, as I had never worked on expensive coloured glass, I was worried I would spoil it. Because lockdown meant that I couldn’t go out to buy a piece of glass to engrave, I looked at glass I already had and dusted off this dish. It reminded me of water and I started to think of underwater scenes, but that did not seem right. I thought it might help to think of stories or poems and the Owl and the Pussycat just popped into my head.

I made a few sketches on paper, but needed to alter my ideas once it came to drawing on the glass itself, to make the design fit the dish. I attend Tracey Sheppard’s classes at Eastleigh College and she was very helpful in keeping learning going during lockdown over Zoom sessions. It was quite unnerving to start engraving, not knowing how it would work with colour. Tracey advised me to start with the lettering, as that would give me an idea of how deep the colour was on the top of the glass.

After the letters, I tackled the moon, as this seemed to me to be the least daunting.

Once I had started this, I began to see how to manipulate the colour and felt bolder the more I engraved. I have engraved mainly on the front through the colour, but also some on the back of the glass.

It is not finished yet. I have only just started to work on the animals in the boat and the owl is still in the very early stages.

I am really enjoying working on this piece and, as it takes a lot of time to engrave through the coloured layer, it has been a great thing to keep me occupied during lockdown.”

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APRIL 2021

Michael Nathan Honorary Fellow 1927 – 2020 Michael Nathan was born 20th July 1927 to Cyril Herbert and Violet Nathan. Michael was educated at St. Cyprian’s, Eastbourne where he was head boy and then went onto Charterhouse, where he was deputy head of house and much involved in sport. Michael was called up for National Service in 1945, just before the end of the War, and served in the Royal Navy.

On demobilisation in 1948, he was articled to Whinney, Smith & Whinney (now Ernst & Young) qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1951.

In 1953, Michael joined Howard, Howes & Co (later Howard Tilly & Co) where his father was then senior partner and later that year he became a partner. It was in 1952 that Michael was admitted as a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers, following in his father’s footsteps, and was clothed in Livery 24th March 1953.

In the early 70’s Michael learnt of a movement to form the Guild of Glass Engravers to revive a craft which had largely died out in the United Kingdom. Having been a Trustee of the Glass Sellers Charity Fund for several years, Michael persuaded the Trustees to sponsor the Guild’s first

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exhibition and to provide a glass trophy as a prize for the best first time exhibitor at the Guild’s national exhibition. He subsequently served as Chairman of the Guild of Glass Engravers for 4 years and was our President for 7 years before being made an Honorary Fellow.

Michael was married to Jennifer Abrahams and they both were very active in charitable work. Jenny was awarded an MBE for this in 2005. In December 2012, Michael became an Honorary Liveryman of the Glass Sellers and, in recognition for his commitment and work ,given the title of ‘Father of the Company’ a title that had not been used since 1850.

Trust a collection of modern British engraved glasses for use at Downing Street and Chequers; the theme being Britain’s architectural and industrial heritage. The collection of some 40 Tumblers, Carafes and Water Jugs was formally presented to David Cameron at Downing Street on January 10th, 2013. The concept was to create a set of Dartington Crystal glasses for use by the Prime Minister and his international guests promoting British Glass Engraving and British Glass in general. At the time Michael was quoted as saying “Everybody says it’s through my doggedness and determination that the whole project has been fulfilled”.

On his death at the age of 93, Michael had been a valued member of the Guild of Glass Engravers for over 40 years.

In 2014 to mark the 350th Anniversary of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London’s charter of 1664, Michael together with his wife Jenny, commissioned a Sellers’ Salt, engraved by Katharine Coleman MBE (Hon. Liveryman) to grace the High Table at Dinners and Events of the Company.

To promote UK Glass Manufacture and Glass Engraving he commissioned through the Glass Engraving

The ‘Sellers Salt’ engraved by Katharine Coleman MBE, commissioned by Michael and Jenny Nathan to mark the 350th Anniversary of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers.

GGE SPRING SPECIAL

The Downing Street Collection Part 2 In the 2019 Spring Special we published an article on the Downing Street Collection showing images of just eight items from this large collection.

In tribute to Michael Nathan, who was instrumental in seeing this project to fruition, in this edition we are showing another ten items from this remarkable collection and reflecting more of the diversity of architectural heritage from all four nations of the United Kingdom.

Michael Nathan established the Glass Engraving Trust in 2008 to raise funds for a project to commission engraved glass tableware for use at official functions at 10, Downing Street and Chequers. The items chosen were water jugs, carafes and beakers , a total of fortytwo items especially made by Dartington Glass in Devon. The list of subjects agreed was in meetings with the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Five members of the Guild of Glass Engravers - Tony Gilliam, Tracey Sheppard, Sandra Snaddon, Virginia Bliss and Hilary Virgo - agreed to share this great task between them.

Eventually the Downing Street Collection of British Engraved Glass was presented to then Prime Minister, David Cameron, on 10 January 2013.

Tony Gilliam, Sandra Snaddon, Tracey Sheppard and Virginia Bliss pictured outside Number 10 Downing Street in 2013 for the presentation to the Prime Minister.

Michael happily recalled the day: “… The long odyssey of more than ten years was to culminate in the official presentation…Members of the Glass Engraving Trust and the four engravers were all invited with their family members.

Sadly, Hilary Virgo had passed away so she was represented by members of her family.

The engraved glass had been laid out in a main reception room by the Facilities Manager David Heaton. When the Prime Minister arrived, I explained the background to the Collection to him and introduced each engraver.

David Cameron then went to each table and spoke to the individual engraver about their work. He spent some time studying all the engraving and then posed for a group photograph.

After the official presentation, the party toured the remaining

public rooms which included a state dining room with seating for sixty people, a smaller dining room and other reception rooms. For everyone there it was an outstandingly happy and memorable occasion” Michael was told that the PM returned the following day to have a further look at the Collection and asked for a small selection to be sent to Chequers for the next weekend where he would be hosting a meeting with a head of state. When not in use some of the glass was to be placed in a display cabinet.

Michael also commissioned publication of a catalogue for the Downing Street Collection which would be available at Number 10 for departing guests and asked Charmian Mocatta to edit and design it. This article draws heavily on her work for the catalogue for which our thanks are due.

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APRIL 2021

The Senedd by Sandra Snaddon (left) This is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Home to the National Assembly for Wales this building, facing southwest over Cardiff Bay, has a glass façade round the entire building and is dominated by a steel roof and wood ceiling. The design criteria required it to be an exemplar in terms of sustainability with a life of 100 years, minimal energy consumption and waste, the use of renewal technologies, and of local Welsh materials. It was to be as open and accessible as possible, ‘making visible the inner workings of the Assembly and encouraging participation in the democratic process’. It was officially opened by HM the Queen on St David’s Day 1st March 2006

The Scottish Parliament by Sandra Snaddon (right) This is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction began in June 1999. It was opened by the Queen in October 2004.

The Spanish Architect, Enric Miralles, died before its completion. His aim had been to achieve a poetic union between the Scottish landscape, people, culture and the city. The design provoked controversy but was welcomed by architectural academics; it has been described as ‘a tour de force of arts and crafts and quality without parallel in the last one hundred years of British architecture’.

The Northern Ireland Assembly by Sandra Snaddon (left) Often referred to as Stormont because of the location in the Stormont Estate area of Belfast, this is the seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, the devolved legislature for the region; the Executive or Government is located at Stormont Castle. The need for a separate parliament building emerged with the creation of the Northern Ireland Home Rule region within Ulster in the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Plans in 1922 for a group of three buildings to house the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government were abandoned because of cost. It was opened by Edward, Prince of Wales in November 1932 and was Grade A listed in 1987.

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GGE SPRING SPECIAL

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral by Sandra Snaddon (left) The Grade II* listed Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool. Locals call it the Catholic Cathedral (or ‘the Mersey Funnel’ or ‘Paddy’s Wigwam’) to distinguish it from the Anglican Liverpool Cathedral.

During the Great Irish Famine (1845-1852) many left Ireland to emigrate to North America, embarking from the port of Liverpool; others remained in the city. Because of the Catholic population increase, the Bishop saw a need for a cathedral and appointed Pugin to build an edifice on a site in Everton. Work on this ceased in 1856 as funds were diverted into children’s education.

The present site of the Metropolitan Cathedral is on the location of the Brownlow Hill Infirmary Workhouse which was demolished in 1930. Sir Edwin Lutyens had provided a design for a massive structure to rival the Anglican Cathedral then under construction but only the crypt had been completed before this build was abandoned as too costly.

A worldwide competition was won by architect Frederick Gibberd with a conical design influenced

by Oscar Niemeyer’s Cathedral of Brasília.

Construction commenced above Lutyens’ crypt in 1962, proceeded quickly and the building was finally consecrated in 1967.

London Central Mosque by Hilary Virgo (right) During World War II, the War cabinet allocated funds for the acquisition of the site in Regent’s Park , in recognition of the substantial support by the Muslim population of the British Empire for the Allies during the was. But a design by English architect Frederick Gibberd was only approved in 1969 after an international competition. The building was completed in July 1977. Easily recognised by the traditional aspects of mosque architecture, it is a complex which includes a library, offices, a conference room, an events hall and, added in 1994, an educational and administrative wing.

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APRIL 2021

St David’s Cathedral by Tracey Sheppard (left) St Davids Cathedral in the village of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, near the most westerly point in Wales. It is on the site of a monastic community, founded in the 6th century by Abbot David who was to become the patron saint of Wales. The monastic community had been attacked many times over the centuries, particularly by the Vikings but in 1081 William the Conqueror visited St Davids to pray, and thus recognised it as a holy and respected place. In 1123 a papal privilege was bestowed upon St Davids, making it a centre of pilgrimage for the Western world.

The building of the present cathedral began between 1180 and 1182. Over the centuries it has survived the collapse of its tower and an earthquake in the 13th Century. It has been extended and altered - most noticeably in the fourteenth century. Sir George Gilbert Scott undertook a restoration of the building in the 19th century. Set on its spectacular Pembrokeshire peninsula, today it continues to enthral and inspire thousands of visitors.

Caernarvon Castle by Tony Gilliam (right) In 1283 King Edward I of England replaced a motte-and-bailey castle in northwest Wales with the current stone structure. Sacked or besieged for years, it was then neglected until the 19th century.

It is now part of a World Heritage Site and was the venue for the investiture of Charles, Prince of Wales in 1969. Castell Caernafon is its Welsh name.

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GGE SPRING SPECIAL

The Royal Pavilion by Tony Gilliam (above) Also known as the Brighton Pavilion, this is a Grade 1 listed former royal residence. It was once a simple lodge but was transformed from 1787 into a spectacular oriental palace beside the seaside for the Prince Regent, later King George IV. It has served as a civic building, a First World War hospital and is a true icon of Brighton.

Castle Drogo by Tracey Sheppard (above) Castle Drogo is a country house and castle near Drewsteignton in Devon. It was built from 1911 to 1930 for businessman Julius Drewe (co-founder of Home and Colonial Stores) to designs by the architect Edwin Lutyens, who also designed the gardens. It was the last castle built in England.

The castle had electricity and lifts from the outset, with power being supplied by turbines on the River Teign below.

In 1910 Julius Drewe had bought about 450 acres south and west of the village of Drewsteignton on the edge of Dartmoor in the belief that he was descended from the Drewe family who once lived there. Although Julius Drewe and his family were able to live there from 1925, building was only completed a year before his death in 1931, by which time he had added more land which increased the size of the estate to 1,500 acres.

Castle Drogo and part of the estate was donated to the National Trust by the Drewe family in 1974.

It is Grade 1 listed; the gardens are Grade 2* listed.

Edinburgh Castle by Tony Gilliam (above) Edinburgh Castle is an historic fortress, involved in many conflicts, which dominates the city skyline.

From the early 12th century St Margaret’s Chapel withstood bombardment and siege and is regarded the oldest building in Edinburgh. The Castle houses the Scottish regalia, ‘The Honours of Scotland’.

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APRIL 2021

The Chris Ainslie method for ‘Brush On’ sandblast resist.

(As told to Rob Page) Ingredients and Tools A small tin of Unibond PVA Original Adhesive/Sealer A small bottle of glycerine A medicinal eye/ear dropper A small bottle of blue food colouring (You need this because otherwise the resist will dry transparent and you will be unable to see where you have removed it and where you have not. BEWARE the colour becomes fainter as the glue dries!)

A half inch watercolour flat brush A Swan Morton scalpel with a number 10A blade A small stick to mix the ingredients with A washable container for the resist (with an air-tight lid, I presume) Mixing For every level desert-spoon full of PVA add four drops of glycerine and 2 to 4 drops of colouring (depending how dense the colouring is). Mix thoroughly with the stick. Wash the stick immediately in water.

The resist is only water soluble when wet.

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‘Eve Time’ by Chris Ainslie

One desert spoonful of mixture will provide one coat for approximately 15sqin of glass.

Using the Resist First clean the glass thoroughly then apply your finished design to the glass using an insoluble marker pen or paint. Try not to touch the glass with your hands as the grease in your fingers will stop the resist from sticking properly.

[If you prefer to use a watersoluble pen or paint then you will have to coat the design with an extremely thin layer of Artist’s Retouching Varnish to make it waterproof. Use a fine flat-haired brush and don’t forget to wash out the brush in turpentine.]

Paint on the resist. Apply a very thick and generous layer.

Immediately wash out the brush in water. Note that you only need to apply the resist to the parts of the glass that hold the design. Areas sufficiently far away from the design can simply be covered in masking tape, Fablon or something similar.

Let the resist dry thoroughly. If your layer is thick enough then this will take at least two hours even if you place the glass in a

very warm place (e.g. strong sunlight). Paint on a second layer and wash the brush as before. Let it dry as before then paint on a third and final layer.

Wash out the brush.

When it is all completely dry you have the design covered in a blue but transparent layer of resist. Now cut the design carefully using the scalpel and lift off the bits of the mask where the sand is to remove the glass. If you find that part of the resist is lifting off the surface, then it can usually be persuaded back into contact by smoothing it down with the back of a small spoon. In cases where you want to replace some of the mask you can always re-cover with more of the resist.

Before you blast check carefully for small gaps or ‘chinks’ in the resist. These will cause small whiskers in the areas that you did not want to be blasted.

Once the blasting is finished you can remove the rest of the resist by soaking the glass in warm water with a little washing up liquid added. If you leave the resist to dry for several months then it is virtually indestructible. But will it peel off after blasting? Yes, it will!

Rob Page

GGE SPRING SPECIAL

Treat yourself to 10% off Enter GGE21 at the checkout

Guild News Making Your Mark and David Peace Prize 2021 Don’t forget to spread the word about the Guild online student exhibition ‘Making Your Mark’ and David Peace Prize opportunity. For details and an application form contact enquiries@gge.org.uk. Deadline for entries is 21st May.

Mark Holford Lecture May 2021 Our new Patron Mark Holford will be giving a special online lecture via Zoom on Wednesday 12th May at 6pm BST. Look out for the link which will be sent out to all members in advance. There will be a Q&A session at the end and it’s sure to be a fascinating opportunity to view some of Mark’s impressive collection.

Guild Subscriptions rates 2021-2022 The Guild of Glass Engravers has set special annual subscription rates for the year 2021-2022 to reflect the situation due to COVID-19: Fellows £55 Associate Fellows £45 Craft Members £35 Lay Members £25 Student Membership £10 Overseas Membership £5 deduction from each ‘band’ Family Membership £40 Please ensure that you have set up your renewal for May 31st and thank you for your continued support.

Disclaimer The views of contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Guild Council nor can the Guild be held responsible for the claims of advertisers.

Photos are the work of the artist/contributor, unless otherwise credited, to the best of our knowledge.

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The Guild of Glass Engravers Membership of the Guild is worldwide and open to anyone who has an interest in engraved, etched or sand-blasted glass.

Registered Charity Number 1016162

Patron: Mark Holford

c/o Red House Glass Cone, High Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge, West Midlands, DY8 4AZ Tel: +44 (0)7834 549 925

Email: enquiries@gge.org.uk

Website: www.gge.org.uk

www.facebook.com/GuildofGlassEngravers www.instagram.com/guildofglassengravers

Back Cover:

‘Long tailed Tits’ by the late Cathy Smart

Front Cover:

‘Pagodas of Samkar’ by James Denison-Pender, FGE

PRINTED BY INDIGO PRESS SOUTHAMPTON