11/3-7 Color Blooming Masterclass with Catherine Dunstan

To start with, experimentation is key; the more blooms you create, the better you will be able to make educated guesses as to how your patterns are going to unfold. You will complete four exciting projects during the course, equipping you with a thorough understanding of this process, so you are able to continue developing your own colour blooms after the course.

This is a very satisfying process, requiring a leap of faith. A colour bloom that comes out of the kiln looks very different to the glass that went in. The process requires lots of accurate glass cutting of small pieces of glass. Catherine has tips and tricks to help you achieve this, as well as some steps you can take if this is something you struggle with.

Unlike other flow or pattern bar techniques, colour blooming doesn’t require any big equipment aside from a kiln and with practice you will have complete design control over the pattern that is created. There is no need for sandblasting or sawing any glass like you do with other pattern bar techniques, and that’s because, you aren’t actually going to be creating a pattern bar at all! Colour Blooming is also unique in the way that the patterns are really 3D, it’s not an illusion! The patterns travel up from the base of the piece to the surface creating eye-catching kaleidoscopic patterns.

Some experience of glass fusing and sheet glass cutting is essential.

Students will receive a complementary of Catherine's e-book; Colour Blooming: A pattern making technique for glass.

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