VACMA Case Study 2023-2024: Donna Eunson

The VACMA bursary gave me the opportunity to further develop my technical abilities across several glass-forming techniques. Many glass artists are in high demand for tuition, and opportunities to take courses in specific subjects are often very limited, with few available spaces. It can be difficult to know in advance what will become available during the year, so I feel very fortunate to have been able to take part in several online masterclasses and a one-to-one session focusing on different forms of glass painting and some glass creation techniques I had touched on in my previous bursary award. The bursary also enabled me to purchase high-quality brushes, glass paints, a soldering iron, and other specialist materials used in these courses. In addition, I undertook one-to-one tuition in lampworking to help me get started in this new area, and invested in additional glass and materials for torchwork. As this is a completely new venture for me, I have much to learn, but I'm excited by the possibilities it offers. I also completed an online masterclass with the same glass artist on Lampworking Bugs and Botanics, which was both fascinating and extremely educational.

I've learned so much about the processes involved in different glass painting techniques, gaining invaluable advice and tricks of the trade from masters in the field. There are so many exciting possibilities for incorporating painted elements into my fused glass designs, and I'm looking forward to developing this aspect of my work further. Learning lampworking online has been a challenge, but I've gained confidence working with a torch and propane/oxygen setup and have been expanding my technical abilities through new techniques. There's still much to explore, especially in creating larger sculptural pieces with torchwork, and I'm excited about the possibilities for integrating lampworked elements into my other glass designs. Lots of practice ahead - but it's a rewarding journey!

Having the assistance of this award has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge and gain confidence in sourcing the correct brushes and materials, while advancing my technical ability in different forms of glass painting. It has fuelled new ideas for developing my designs and exploring ways to incorporate stained glass painted elements within my kiln-formed glass work. The challenge of moving forward with setting up my new torch and sourcing materials for a completely new venture into lampworking would not have been possible without the bursary's support. It has enabled me to access education in an entirely new field, and learning such a different process has been both inspiring and rewarding for my personal and creative development. I can now continue to build on this strong foundation of skills gained through the bursary award, applying them to future work and expanding the creative possibilities within my practice.