Description
‘The Aftermath’ is a stunning orange and blue glass plate, which we have made using the ‘pattern bar’ technique. The way in which the pattern comes together, combined with the colours reminds us of an explosion, hence its name.
You’re probably wondering what a ‘pattern bar’ technique is. Well, to start with, we pile up the orange and blue glass above a mould, suspended on stainless steel rods. As the glass heats and becomes liquid, it drips into the mould below. When the firing is finished, we are left with a block of glass, with a swirling pattern.
We then cut the resulting block into slices, and rearrange the separate pieces into a pattern. These pieces are then prepared for the kiln (a process including grinding to shape and sandblasting, which takes considerable time!) The orange and blue glass pieces are then put back into the kiln to fire into a flat piece.
After this firing, we then take the flat piece and add strips of glass, on edge, around the pattern piece to create a border. We then fire it again (so far this is the third firing). Finally, the plate is slumped into a mould. Because of the busyness of the pattern, a gentle curved, non-complicated mould is more pleasing to the piece. The resulting plate is ‘The Aftermath’.
Because of the way this piece is made, no two plates would ever be the same, even if the exact ratio of orange to blue glass was replicated. It therefore makes this glass plate a total original.
If you like this pattern bar process, these items are also made in this way. See here and here.
Measures approximately 20x20cm.
