Kiln Formed Glass
at Godfrey Hole
with Barbara Coulam

Zantium Studio - Barbara Coulam: Clerestory Glass
Home - Cathy - Frank

The Weekend Course


Up past Middleton and towards Carsington Water, “First sight of Godfrey Hole“ in the greenery of the southern peaks of the Derbyshire Dales. Here the scenery is one of green fields and low hills and deep valleys beautiful but not as rugged as the Dales further north. The Zantium Studio is in a substantial stone build house which is accompanied by three cottages a perfect place to spend some time relaxing and learning something new. The view from the back of the house runs all the way to Carsington Water.

By lunchtime Barbara has done the first talk and we are all hard at it! Yes, and laughing. We have learnt something of the materials we will be using and the techniques we will be using and we have handled the glass cutter. This tool is either your best friend or your worst enemy, a well made cut and the crack flows down the grove to the end no matter the shape. A bad cut and ping the crack goes off along the weakest route through the glass almost always not where you want it to go.

Yes I did say crack twice in the previous paragraph because what you are doing is making a controlled break in the glass. Or at least that is the theory, it’s not hard but I can assure you it is not easy and sometimes you look at the result thinking; how did that happen, how can I use this!


My bits at the end of day two, awaiting firing. The two rounded pieces are a glass plate slumped into a former and a dish slumped around an ovaloid former. The plate has Ivy leaves and copper wire between the layers of glass and the dish has pieces of glass on the outside which will fuse to the surface before the glass slumps over the former. To see the finished articles go read the page about my work. The daffodil wall or window hanging is in the middle and this is a simple glass sandwich with glass flakes and copper wire embedded between the layers. There is also some unfired dichroic jewellery just to the left of the daffodil, the fusing process changes these piles of glass bits into something wonderful.

This little montage shows bits of Bullseye and Dichroic Glass and a few piece of jewellery made for the material. The transformation that takes place during firing is almost magical, get the colour combination right and the dichroic glass transforms an interesting piece into something wonderful.

Barbara hates having her picture taken and her face shows it. But if you are crafty and don‘t let her know she can be caught smiling and enjoying herself. It‘s just a shame that I spoilt the best picture by shaking the camera when she was looking straight at me.


Seriously, this is how we spent most of the weekend smiling laughing and having great fun.


Barbara makes wonderful things with recycled, glass character and good for the environment. I am not going to say much the pictures tell the story.


She also makes these beautiful buttons.


Some detail of more of her work. Go to Barbara Coulam: Clerestory Glass for more information or to Zantium Studio for information about courses.


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