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To contact us…. |
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The Longhouse Plymtree Near Cullompton Devon EX15 2JW |
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Siddy Langley Glass |
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News Article |
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Using lampwork to put fine detail on the paperweight |
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Article by Derek carter |
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Date: 16.10.06 |
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Working on the orchid paperweight with the torch |
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Mexico Paperweight |
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Prindi Paperweight |
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Orchid paperweight |
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Siddy with the llamas |
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Siddy lives in an idyllic thatched house in a superb remote country location. Despite being delayed by a herd of cows on the road near Honiton, and a closed road near Plymtree a warm welcome awaited me as I negotiated the grass covered track leading to the Longhouse Studio.
Siddy is a Lancashire lass and originally was running a dress shop whilst at the same time studying ceramics with Renee Rubinstein. She was becoming increasingly frustrated with Ceramics, which she felt was limiting her artistic expression. This was to change very swiftly following a weekend glassblowing course with Peter Layton and the shop was on the market the following Monday!
She was apprentice to Peter Layton from 1979 to 1981 at the same time that Norman Stuart-Clarke was working with Peter. Not surprisingly with these two as mentors much of her work was blown vessels. After her apprenticeship she joined Peter’s team at the London Glassblowing workshops and stayed there for 6 further years. She was often involved with demonstrating at the workshop open days. On one occasion a particularly obnoxious drunken fellow was standing just a few feet away from the chair - making rude remarks as Siddy was working. She “accidentally” slipped whilst blowing the vessel and managed to catch the drunkard’s trousers on fire – the crowd cheered as he battled to put out the flames before making a swift exit!
During that apprenticeship she went to Venice and was able to work in a glasshouse there for a weekend. The gaffer there was so impressed with her work that he presented her with a pair of jacks (Pucellas) that had been his first pair of tools when he started as an apprentice 40 years earlier!
In 1987 she set up her own studio Alchemy Glass in Maidenhead. This ran for 10 years before she was seduced by the rural beauty of the Devon countryside. All her life she had held one of those pipedreams we all have and hers was to have a country cottage with a herd of Llamas! Well, she achieved it and during a break from the heat of the workshop I was introduced to the 5 Llamas, the four soay sheep and Charlie the charollais sheep. Siddy told me an amusing story about Charlie – she was up a ladder picking sloes to make sloe gin when the ladder began to rock – she looked down to see Charlie trying to join her up the ladder!
The studio is approximately 1200 sq. feet with a further similar area for display and admin. Being so remote the only option Siddy has for fuel is Propane tanks. These are charged every 2 weeks and a fill is currently costing approx £600! Siddy uses 24% lead crystal cullet from Dartington Crystal – charging the pot up to 50 kg every night after production finishes. The furnace is heated continuously apart from pot changes which are needed every twelve to eighteen months. Amazingly, Siddy can manage this operation on her own! The pots are already cured so bringing a new one on stream is a relatively quick operation.
Colour both in powder form and in 2” thick rod form, is imported from Germany and is a major element of the production process. Siddy draws her own thin working canes from these thick rods.
The majority of her work comprises vessel forms and maybe 5% paperweights – these vary from around £30 - £150 depending on the amount of work involved. Her work is sold through a selection of galleries, to studio visitors and through the Internet.
Siddy asked me what design of paperweight I would like to see her make. I was particularly keen to see a Mexican made as I wanted to see her create the blue iridescence. This blue iridescence is perhaps her trademark. I also love her lizard weights created using a stencil through which coloured glass powder is sifted. She showed me the model for her lizard pieces – she has a lovely Gecko called Lily in the workshop! As I was undecided she said she would make them both!
Each weight took about 20 minutes. I noticed two interesting techniques. Her process involves significant cooling of the weight between stages. This she achieves by hanging the rod on a stand as soon as it is cool enough not to sag. Siddy quite happily goes outside for a breather or puts on the kettle for a cuppa whilst this is happening!! The other technique is the use of a VERY thin wet paper pad for shaping the weight. Siddy said she likes to feel the glass through the paper. Having seen the two weights being made I just couldn’t resist them and they are now in my collection!!
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Siddy intensely dislikes having to work to order – creating items that are a certain size, colour and shape. She loves to get an idea and to experiment around it. When I arrived she showed me a picture of a peacock with its tail on display and she created a weight based on that picture.
Siddy has two passions in her life. One is her children Her other passion is wildlife and her glassmakers chair is strategically positioned so that she is looking out over the countryside. As well as the Llamas and sheep, she has a pond with kingfishers, dragonflies, and newts. She is particularly keen on moths and frequently sees the Hummingbird hawk moth which is attracted to the flowers.
For relaxation Siddy likes nothing better than extreme sports! – parascending, body boarding, parachute jumping, scuba diving and jungle trekking have all been explored and some years ago she walked solo from Lands End to John O Groats. She is now itching to have a go at sea kayaking and is currently trying to organise a gorge walking trip in Wales.
Although having worked with glass for 27 years, Siddy still has many areas where she wants to experiment. One of these, she is currently investigating, is kiln cast glass where a lost wax process is used to create a mould that is then filled with granulated glass. The sandwich is then heated in the kiln until the glass melts.
Siddy has had several part time apprentices. The current one, Simon Kneen, is showing great promise. A name to look for in the future judging by the quality and range of his work I saw at the studio.
Thank you Siddy for the time you spent with me |
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Apollo butterfly pebbleweight |
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The early stages of an Apollo butterfly pebbleweight |