Alison & Gerard Carlin

In 2022 we spent a week in Taranaki at the ‘Art and Garden festival’  where we met glass artist Richard Landers. His enthusiasm and art work were the catalyst for our present journey with the medium of glass.

Soon after we did a stained glass course with Leadlight Expressions (Tauranga) followed by a fused glass class at Glass Station (Auckland). Books, YouTube and online groups have helped along the way. We bought our kiln in October 2024 and have been experimenting ever since.

Glass fusing is a fascinating combination of art and science.

A chance meeting  with Karin De Beer connected us with a small group of glass obsessed  people to share knowledge and skills ( and of course lunch)  in Whangarei.

Gerard and I have very different styles, Gerard likes the complex, optical illusion work and tends to start big! I prefer simple, naive styles and start small.

We are totally hooked. The excitement of opening the kiln at 4am always provides a surprise. Sometimes just as you imagine the piece to be, other times enhanced by the ‘kiln goddess.’  Of course there are times when you just want to cry, but we learn by our mistakes.

We would like to thank  Shona Firman and Karin De Beer for sharing their knowledge, skills and enthusiasm with us.