Peter Cummings Glass Artist

The build up to "Applied Cameo Carving" and how its done.

I have been on a glass engraving odyssey for about 25 years. I have trawled through every library and bookshop I have come across. The internet has proved wonderful for its online bookshops and group boards. I have annoyed glass artists, lapidary shows, dental technicans and all sorts of people to glean whatever piece of information could help me get that bit further. I've learnt to adapt and try the weirdest solutions to the oddest problems I could ever have imagined. 

I mostly use drills for my engraving and use a sandblaster for special projects and finishes. All sorts of glass can be engraved in some way, and I do a wide variety. See my gallery and if you think of another way I could approach glass I'd be interested to talk about it.

After traditional cameo carving blown vessels I became interested in the Galle "marqueterie de verrre, and English pad cameo, as a direction for contemporary cameo glass. Imagine my exitement on finding roman cameo glass was also made by an application method. 

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=2721870

I am proud to show some of the process, and sometime in the future will have open an studio day for those interested. Please let me know if you are interested.  glass@petercummings.com.au

Firstly the background is made by fusing together a layer of streaked and a top colour layer,this is cut and ground to final shape, and shown at the back left. The feature of top colour and under colour for shading is fused then cut to its final detail shape with engraving tools and tack fused onto the base.

Then the background is lightly sandblasted with the feature protected, for a final satin finish.Next the main and exiting part is carving the details and shading. As the top layer is pared back the underlying colour begins to show through.This is the slowest and most demanding part because as with most engraving you are taking material away, and once its gone its gone forever.The degree of smoothing and semi polishing depends on the design.

When I am happy with the piece, and I'm always a little unsure, it goes into the kiln for the slump to shape and some degree of fire polish.

The glass used in this project and the final finished piece. "Blue Iris" has a lovely watery backing. 

 Different styles

I have engraved

Engraving a thinly flashed pink platter, blown by Philip Stokes Studio Glass.Sweet sweet pea.

Calligraphic inscription on a "rockin'" carafe blown and sold by Philip Stokes Studio Glass.

Sandblasted flashed glass table screen in the chinese style. Hand cut stencil with shading and stage techniques.

Detail, deep intaglio engraving on clear crystal made by Oasis Crystal. Ophelia.

Traditional colour cased cameo glass, blown by Richard Morrell. sold