We were thrilled to welcome Rosa Barba for the residency that didn’t actually start until 2022!
Rosa spent two solid days in the studio with us exploring both hot glass and learning how casting works. She wanted to know about compatibility and how certain glasses are able to be casted together – or not! So we began with small-scale tests pouring hot glass onto Bullseye glass in circular forms. This seemed to give a nice effect with the Bullseye glass causing cracks and bubbles, and so Rosa ordered a larger roundel to work with. Luke Holden suggested we cast the furnace glass into it with Bullseye, and so we did one last test that turned out great. The two incompatible glasses create cracks and breaks that are then annealed to ensure sustainability.
We landed on the exact form and method to make a body of work. We planned to order 4 roundels and 4 billets of Bullseye glass. In the meantime, throughout the year, Rosa was busy with some awesome exhibitions and art fairs and so we had ideal for casting and cold work. In the end, there were 4 roundels and the successful prototype, so 5 in total. What a successful residency!
