under another sun

Walked over to Evolution arts today, and enjoyed working on my stained glass. Receiving lots of encouragement from Ben Conti the teacher and the others who are liking my design and colour choices. I've been using different thicknesses of lead too. Ben teaching me lots and being very supportive. Finding I enjoy using pliers to nibble bits of glass to shape, and using the glass grinder to reduce the size of a piece by a smidge. Had a coffee with Chris, the retired teacher, afterwards. A thoughtful, interesting man, who has also written short stories and done travel writing for magazines. He travels lots now, and went to Brazil towards the end of last year and said it was quite dangerous, due to economic reasons, and he told me about seeing a man waving a gun around in the street near the coach station. He said he was interested in how geographical and historical factors influence national character, and we had a conversation about whether national character exists or not. Bright ...

Up a bit late, but early enough to say hello to Dawn and Lorraine before they went. A spot of work in my study before setting off to Evolution Arts to start my beginners course in Stained Glass that Lorraine had bought me for my birthday last year. Up a couple of flights of stairs to an art room, which reminded me of being at school a bit. Art rooms are great places. Three other newbies, all retired. Ben our teacher, and another student who had attended before and was working on his own project. Basics today, scoring the glass with a glass cutter and tapping the glass to break the section off. Then learning to bite off bits of glass, with pliers and a curved lead knife. Started to cut bits of glass off, and then we started work on our first practice project, which is a square made of four plain pieces of glass, and a circle of glass for the centre. Managed to cut three or four of the pieces, with a quarter circle cut out of the corner of each.  A nice chat with Ben after the clas...