Jane Drysdale

Jane is a glass artist who creates hand crafted kiln formed glass artworks from her studio near Crieff, producing a range of pieces which can be functional or purely decorative.

Creating under the name Barkley Glass (inspired by her beloved four legged studio companion), Jane has been working in glass for over twenty years which began after attending a stained glass evening class. Jane’s continued love, fascination and respect for glass fuels her desire to push the boundaries, develop new skills and be experimental in her practice.

Aesthetic

Jane uses a variety of glass often coloured with glass powders and enamels, sometimes using metal inclusions for embellishment, her favoured glass choice is the hand rolled Bullseye glass, chosen for it’s purity and consistency. Her recent work is inspired by exploring how ‘line’ can be interpreted in glass, and was originally inspired by the confines of lockdown and the need to focus and retain control of something in an uncertain world. This development in her work was a move away from her previous style, creating more individual pieces, with very appealing results.

Practice

This new way of working begins with each design being meticulously planned on kiln paper, then multiple glass sections as thin as spaghetti, known as stringers, are precisely measured and hand cut before being assembled in the kiln and dammed to contain the glass in it's original form. These are then fired to an individual schedule of heating and holding to 820C and staying in the kiln for approx 28 hours, fusing the hundreds of stringers into one piece. Each one is then cleaned and hand polished before being placed back in the kiln for another 24 hours minimum, this time in a ceramic mould to enable the slumping process which determines the shape of the final piece. Whilst a lengthy method, Jane enjoys the necessity to slow down, focus and immerse herself in the creation process.