Leadlight Studio

When I left University, I got a job with the British Hangliding Association in a little town outside Madrid in Spain. My job was to drive the competitors to the top of the mountain and help rig up before returning to the pool to wait for my cb radio to give instructions. This was before mobile phones or goggles so I would just get map coordinates when they had landed and would then have to find them and pick them up (tricky when most of the land was private/agricultual and my Spanish was limited!!) Obviously, when moving to Bristol I have continued my fascination of tracking things...
Last night, as we often do in summer i heard the Whoosh of gas , and suddenly me and were balloon detectives, barefoot, and braless chasing balloons. We got there just as they all landed!

A few people have asked about silver stain recently, so I thought I'd share this! This is an old reject piece of painted glass that I've been adding silver stain to every now and then (just for the lols and because it's getting prettier everytime!) It's really ugly with direct sunlight behind it as the stain is now misty and clunky but if it's plated on a white, or mirrored background, it's beautiful!
I love to experiment. I also love to mess up sometimes because that's when you truly learn how far you can push something... or when to stop!

Washing Day!
I'm washing off the silver stain to reveal the ping of the stain. Stain is a fickle thing but utterly beautiful. Unlike paint or enamels, it is painted on the underside of the glass and pentrates the surface. Paint it on the tin side and the colour will be more intense, cook it longer and it will create a metallic blue shern (which I love!) Over cook it and it will become opaque and milky. Various stains create different hues, from a pale lemon yellow to deep amber, red, and even green.
It's wonderful to work with, and the washing off is the cream on the cake!

Recent seaweed haul, gathered, dried, and pressed. Now, to turn it into glass!!! Stay tuned...

Amelie -part of The Lido Collection
Soon to be added as a preorder
Next step - silver stain

Glass Hack - Slaking the paint!
These new lead-free vitreous glass paints from Fuse Master look gorgeous. Here, I am mixing the paint with propylene glycol (as per the Debra Coombs method) This will sit for a few weeks before I can use it. Any grains or granules will dissolve in that time, leaving the smoothest paint, perfect for matting or line work.

Slaking - to quench or satisfy ones thirst
Slacken - to become slower, less eager, not as intense

More little quirky doodles from Bristol Cathedral.