Clare Gaylard Glass 

Lampwork Glass, Jewellery and Wearable Art, created by me: Clare Gaylard in my Suffolk studio.

FAQs

Care of Glass

Glass is simultaneously one of the most fragile yet long-lasting of preserved historical artefacts. While I take care to create glass that is as structurally sound as possible, and anneal every element, as a medium it is beautifully AND inherently delicate. 

Care should be taken to avoid dropping or sharply knocking glass. With sculptural items, avoid forcing or placing too much pressure on extremities. Of course the shape of the object contributes to its sturdiness, the solid sphere of a glass bead can take harder daily wear than a sculptural shape.

Rings and Sizing


Making glass rings is an immediate and organic process, as each ring is sculpted directly in the flame. The result is that every ring is unique and complete once torched, and an existing ring can't be adapted for size or detailing.


My steel rods come in a specific set of diameter sizes and are dipped in a paste called bead-release to prevent the glass fusing. As this adds a couple of millimeters to the diameter, sizing is not as precise or predictable as with metal.


I can suggest a smaller 'stacking' glass ring is useful to hold a looser ring in place, or for finger shrinkage in chilly weather! When removing a ring, always twist, don't pull.


My ring diameters (give or take a couple of mm for bead-release) are 15, 16, 17, 17.5, 18, 18.5, 19, 20, 21, & 22mm.

What is Flamework/ Lampwork?

It is the traditional, scaled-down version of glassblowing. Glass is melted in an intense flame, wrapped around a steel rod then worked and sculpted while molten.

Working with glass is a synthesis of powerful elements: colour, light, fire and a medium that moves rapidly between liquid and solid states.


The glass and the processes I use are of a quality chosen to extend the lifespan  and beauty of my work. I kiln anneal and hand clean all my glass. Annealing soaks the glass at 960 degrees then cools it gradually over ten hours, to reduce the chance of stress fractures and strengthen the glass.

Where do you get your ideas?


As an artist and designer-maker I'm engaged in approaching the universal through the particular. All work and ideas are my own, I assemble all my own work and I do not copy or mass produce.


I've always created: kept sketchbooks, painted and drawn. I have travelled widely, frequent museums and galleries and live in an inspiring part of coastal, rural England. Training for and working as a teacher taught me more about how to learn, and inspiration is everywhere.