Oh! Oh! ItsTuesday Again!!!!!!!!!

Its 5.30 PM

Ratchet, Ratchet, whirr, spring, boing, Bill`s winding up the car with its big silver key and is about to start the torturous journey into Glasgow.

I can hear in the distance the "Apocalypse Now" rotor blades of Tess`s attack helicopter as it crosses The Irish Sea , skimming the waves to avoid radar.

The two Michael twins are heavily disguising themselves in an effort to look as different from each other as possible, it never works!

Gillian has been busily despatching children to the four corners of the city prior to arriving.

And last but not least Ruth, is probably doing some ZEN meditation before cutting up Frida Kahlo. A No 3 for those eyebrows, I think.

3 of November. Its the Thursday mob

Renee and Joe discussing where her final cut lines will go in her design




Renee using template shears, to create templates for glass cutting herdesign



Sheila finalising her design prior to creating a building and layout drawing from it



Yvonne posing for the camera, whilst Sheila traces a building drawing from her design




Elaine tracing a building drawing from her design.
Apparently her window is for a Wendy House. I`ve tried telling her that the window will in all likelyhood be heavier than the wendy house, and this could lead to severe structural problems



I was completely ignored, she continued on. So folks!, watch out for the news headline,
"FRONT GABLE OF WENDY HOUSE COLLAPSES....THE THREE BEARS SERIOUSLY INJURED"



John making a jig saw pizza out of paper, he quickly remembered where he was and redesigned it into a very interesting leaded design full of symbolism



John learning how to develop a serious hump from Glassmaster Joe



John cutting the first piece of Emperors purple for his leaded panel



John making sure his cut lines are laid out economically and practically prior to cutting






Very cool and accurate glass breaking from John

1 of November, Its Tuesday again

Tonights class have been working and finalising their designs, getting building drawings and templates ready. The two Michaels (Michael the veggie and Michael the engineer) have been selecting and cutting glass for their leaded panels.
Bill( our coffin dodger) Tess (our bog faerie) and Gillian (our child herder)have been finishing of designs and cutting or are about to start cutting templates.
As usual( and as is insisted upon) great fun was had by all!


Bill our resident coffin dodger looking rather fetching in a rather snazzy royal blue overall putting the final design touches to what is going to be a very pretty poppy window.


Gillian working on her design with Michael(the engineer)in the background selecting glass for his leaded panel.
The rather tragic looking figure to the far right is Joe Boyle glassmaster and resident tutor.


Gillian with her rather fine, finished design for her flower and landscape panel, getting her building drawing and templates ready for glass cutting next week.


Tess`s finished building drawing and template drawing ready to cut.


Tess cutting and placing templates ready for cutting. She apparently helicopters across from Donegal (where she is runoured to be a rather successful sheep thief) every tuesday evening for the course, no I don`t believe the sheep bit either!!!!!


Michael with template shears cutting templates


Michael concentrating on a selection of brown glasses that will be used for the tree bark in his panel.


Michael (the veggie. As you will have noticed, the two Michaels are identical twins with the same first name, the nick names are to make life easier for the viewer)at the cutting bench starting to cut the glass he has selected for his rather interesting geometric panel.


Michael marking glass from template and in deep concentration at our glass cutting bench.


Michael working out how to maximize the number of glass shapes he will get out of the piece of glass safely and accurately.


Gillian,Tess and Michael working on templates and designs, every one has worked so well so far on both night`s courses that I have not had to make anyone cry yet.
But there`s still 5 weeks to go yet, and I await my opportunity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And finally!
Glassmaster Joe in his normal over blown heroic pose. As you can see, Gillian in the background is not at all put off or distracted by this rather handsome and flamboyant peacock!!!!!!!!!!!!