Artists statement

Sue Weinstock

Background

Sue has an honours degree in Fine Art Practice from Buckinghamshire and Chilterns University College. During her degree she started experimenting with fused glass and went on to attend various private courses on kiln formed glass. After completing her BA Sue won the 2006 Oxfordshire Women's Business Forum award for her glass work and this enabled her to undertake further intensive courses on kiln fired glass. In addition, last year, Sue attended a Creative Craft Skills glass (level 2) course at Richmond College to further her practice.

Artist’s statement

My work reflects my fascination with the sea. The psychologist Carl Jung thought, rightly or wrongly, that our deep affinity for water might be attributable to our early experience in the womb. Certainly many people, including myself, feel a pull to water and the sea. I believe that as life gets noisier in the 21st century many of us seek out simplicity along with silence in the hope of achieving peace of mind. For me, silence in the mind is experienced between our thoughts and even in between breaths - and it is this that is reflected so perfectly by the rhythm and energy of the sea.

Making pieces with kiln formed glass has opened up new opportunities of capturing the light and the many different moods of the sea, often in one piece. I love the transparency, reflection, and the refraction of light in glass, and this has resulted in the adding of a three dimensional element in some of my work. Additionally warm glass seems a very apt medium to work in for me as it becomes fluid allowing the glass to flow during firing. Also fusing glass means that I can include metals and minerals in a piece of work, reflecting as might be found naturally on a beach or rocks by the sea.

Although much of my work is in glass I still approach it from a fine art angle rather than a design one. As a result the main body of my work has been made as pictures, although I never actually paint the glass. I prefer to achieve colours through metals, sifting crushed glass and other compounds to achieve a looser, organic feel and look.

I hope that you enjoy what you see as much as I have enjoyed making it.