Louisa has recently returned to glassmaking after more than 20 years away.
“My love of hot glass started one day in 1989 whilst on Art and Design foundation course at Leicester Polytechnic. After only a day I knew I had to investigate this magic material further.
I chose 3D Design at Manchester Metropolitan Uni as it was one of the only multi-material degrees which included glass. Although I enjoyed working across different materials, I grew to love glass the most, and wanted to develop my skill level, which was limited to the few shapes I made for my degree show. This took me to the (now sadly closed) International Glass Centre, in Brierley Hill, the heart of the old glassmaking industry.
Keen to put my new skills to good use, I got a place on the Ceramics and Glass MA at the Royal College of Art. This was a brilliant couple of years where I met so many excellent tutors, technicians, visiting lecturers and friends.
I’ve thought a lot about why I like working with glass so much. It’s a very instant medium, the process is quite fast and you need to think on your feet. I like the vague danger and excitement of it all, it’s quite a performance. I love the fact that the tools and techniques haven’t changed for hundreds of years. You only have a combination of heat, gravity, centrifugal force and hand tools to create a piece.”
