RHS Malvern Spring show
Re-casting waste window glass
I was approached by a local company Humble Bee Gardeners to create a series of panels for their show garden at this years RHS Spring show at Malvern. Their design centred around a gazebo that represents a bee's wing. Early in the design process they asked if there could be elements created in glass. Naturally I was intrigued to see what I could create for them.
To tie in with their mission statement of recycling and re using, it was to be the challenge to create these textured panels out of old waste window glass.
My kiln sand-casting technique was perfect for creating beds of textures that would be picked up by the remelted glass, and due to the nature of the weathering of this glass there would be wonderful veiling and inner world interactions within the glass. The Humble Bee designers were also interested in introducing bubbles and colour. This was naturally a little challenging as anyone in the glass world knows we want as few bubbles as humanly possible, but the process of casting weathered smashed and damaged panes thankfully allowed this to happen in a naturally organic fashion.
Working to sit within the very organic structure of oak branches harvested from the storm damaged trees that sadly fell locally earlier this year, resulted in a few redesigns along the way, meaning panels and textures were moved around, but the resultant roof and wall structures created a lovely set of accents for their design concept. The panels have been mounted in the structure by Humble Bee Gardeners and dressed with moss,bark and lichen to blend them into their construction. Creating a very attractive effect with my cast glass panels.
Bespoke textured panels
The colours used were also recycled from a friend who had studied glass at University, and who over the years had lost track of the type of glass that they were compatible with. Having trialled compatibility I was able to use these colours to achieve a lichen style technique on the surface of the panels.
I incorporated to great effect Glow crystals in certain leaves of the texture, these natural crystals will glow a gentle luminous green through the evening having been charged through the absorption of UV rays over the course of the day. A wonderful addition to the glass.