Stained glass view

A few weeks ago we visited Rode Hall and the church across the road from it. I was running out of battery power so only took this photo. I just decided to look at it again because I like the colours in the glass. Blues, reds and whites highlight the figures and the textiles and architecture. The detail of the pattern at the top and base of the window panes help link each panel together. Just cutting the glass pieces out must have been so difficult and time consuming. Using lead to hold the glass in place. How do artists manage to do this? I’m full of admiration.

Odd Rode, Church window

One of the stained glass church windows at Odd Rode, it’s opposite the exit from Rode Hall. We came out of the Hall Gardens because the queue for the tea room was too long. The church was open for refreshments. We popped in and were made very welcome. The church was designed by Gilbert Scott. The same architect designed St Thomas Church in Penkhull. Sorry I forgot to make a note of the name of this church. We called in for scones and coffee. Very nice and friendly.

Yellow glass bowl

A funny little painting of a yellow glass bowl with blue feet shaped like ammonites or snail shells. I loved the bowl and was really upset when it got broken. I created this picture so I would have a memory of it. Some people collect things, others hate clutter. I’m on the collecting side. Mostly because it helps when creating art. If I want to paint a little rabbit skull I have one I found on a walk, or I have ammonites found on the beach. Glass ware and ceramics. I don’t think anything is worth much money, but I do like collecting objects (and dust!)

Wizard glass

A wizard presides over some of my collection of glass paperweights. I made sure the sun doesn’t shine in too brightly on this particular windowsill. There are no curtains so the glass orbs cannot set fire to anything – they could act as magnifying lenses. I think the first ones I got were a present about thirty years ago, but I then started collecting them. They are colourful and tactile. Creativity comes in many guises.

A glass world

Glass paperweight

Like a water world with tiny golden islands on an ultramarine sea.

I have a few paperweights but this is my favourite. I look into it and am enchanted by how they managed to embed gold leaf into it. They must have gathered the blue glass and rippled on the black layer, then put gold leaf on and blown into the glass to make it split up or maybe just let loose gold leaf fall onto it? Then gathered (added a layer) of clear glass on top.

I’m only guessing about the technique but however it was done, it’s beautiful.

Glass paperweights

A random collection of glass paperweights that I have bought over several years. I have several more. If I had the money I would have more of them. I love making fused glass pieces but I would not know how to make these. They might be blown into round shapes with metal foil trapped inside them. They are beautiful. They are only around three or four inches, but so intricate.

Codd neck bottle

A friend painted one of these and wondered what it was called. I thought it was a codswallop bottle, but looked it up and codswallop is a word for nonsense, for instance used in a phrase ‘a load of codswallop’ meaning a load of rubbish, or inaccurate, or something that isn’t true?

Then when I looked up codswallop bottle it came up with this: ‘A Codd-neck bottle is a type of bottle used for carbonated drinks. It has a closing design based on a glass marble which is held against a rubber seal, which sits within a recess in the lip. Wikipedia‘.

Thinking about it, could this be a cleaner, greener method of closing a bottle? I think it’s an interesting design. I think it’s Victorian?