This commission was something a little different for us and, as the person responsible for making the design a reality, for Deborah in-particular! Generally, where a new bespoke commission is concerned, the design from which the actual piece is to be produced will be very detail specific. Every minute detail to be rendered in paint on the glass will be shown within that design. In the case of this piece however, its execution was a very much freer, paint it on and see what happens approach. This approach being made doubly testing as the whole piece relied on the use of multi-layering silverstain (a silver oxide paint which when applied to clear glass turns it yellow), a temperamental medium at the best of times.
Produced to take up residence in a plain glazed aperture between a bathroom and first floor landing of a new build property in Lancashire, our clients brief was to create an abstract design that would give a warm glow, making use of a vibrant palette of yellow colour and also to disguise a ventilation fan within the ceiling of the bathroom beyond.
Our solution to the brief for this 1900 x 600mm panel was to create a simple rectangular grid of clear Desag glass and to then apply and fire in multiple layers of silverstain to build up the tone and colour variation. Deb freely admitted to being a bit daunted by the unfamiliar method at first but very much got the feel for the freer approach and was happily splashing and daubing the paint on by the end of production.
To minimise issues with condensation caused by the shower directly underneath the window, it was encapsulated insode a double glazed unit.
Our the original design proposal (which in a break from the usual hand-drawn method was produced in Photoshop), various stages of the glass in production and the finished panel insitu.
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