This week, we had a crash review in Glazing with John Wilcox of Vitreous Glassworks. You’ll remember we had a full week with him last year, learning the ins and outs of stained glass conservation, as well as how to make our own stained glass panels. This year, we had a similar experience, going over a few case studies in glass conservation, mostly on buildings in and around Toronto. Then we got right back into the fun stuff: making panels.

It was really quite amazing how much we remembered and how quickly we recalled how to do everything. I remember being terrified of breaking glass last year; this year, I was totally confident in the process and able to get in there (without any fears of getting cut). Of course, we all needed reminders of the steps to the process, but for the most part we all got to it, some of us designing rather complex pieces (Geordie did a gigantic two panel piece!) and doing beautiful painted and stained pieces. Others, more advanced in the glass arts (really just Doug) made some glass masks – which, some may say has little to do with glazing, but actually taught us a lot about the glass bending process (there are actually quite a few windows that are bent to fit angled architecture – think corner buildings).

In all, it was a lot of fun – John is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about glass and his enthusiasm is infectious. And we are hoping that we will get to make a field trip in to Toronto to see his glass studio and do a tour of some of the incredible stained glass that Toronto has to offer.

Here are some pictures of the projects we did this week:

Me and Alycia, putting acid on our pieces to patina them and doing the final cleaning.

John giving Kristina the gears on her technique (he was just kidding!).

Kristina and Danielle demonstrating great form in grouting, a.k.a puttying.

Doug and John, readying themselves for opening the kiln - you can't open it too often or your glass could cool and break.

That's some super hot glass.

Alycia and Geordie showing off Doug's earlier creepy mask work.

Kristina's final stained glass project - the yellow is from the glass being stained with silver.

Panel one of Geordie's two panel piece - he's cleaning the joints with a steel brush before applying flux so that he can solder his piece.

Ashleigh's amazing Mackintosh-inspired rose panel.