Colin Reid at the mill…

Our neighbour and leading glass sculptor Colin Reid used a space in the mill to shoot some of his magnificent creations yesterday. Colin describes his unique work as follows: “If I were to identify a single thread that runs through my work it would be the influence of nature. That is the source to which I return for inspiration and fresh material for my work. My current interest is in natural materials that have been worked by craftsmens hands in the past and are eroding and reverting to nature. The form of the cube is derived from the medieval stone carvings high on Gloucester Cathedral. The Cathedral is being restored and the stonemasons have erected scaffolding giving access to normally inaccessible stonework, allowing me to take casts and use the results as a starting point for new works. I work in kiln-cast glass, using various moulding techniques to make the forms and moulds in which I cast my glass. My current work is mainly in optical glass because I like its purity. Firings are long, three weeks is typical, so I can get thickness and depth. When the piece comes out of the kiln it is only the start of the making process. There is much cold-work to be done, grinding, polishing, and sandblasting. The pieces evolve and change at this stage as I respond to what has come out of the kiln. Chance plays its part. The tension between what is planned and controlled and what is unexpected can be both creative and disastrous. I do not open the kiln if I am having a bad day. The quality I am after is elusive, impossible to describe, but I know it when I see it.” http://www.colinreidglass.co.uk