‘Symphony of Blue’

Pate de Verre, which translated from the French means ‘paste of glass,’ is an ancient glass casting technique. It involves packing crushed glass tightly into hand built moulds. After two firings in the kiln, the mould is broken away and discarded, leaving, in this case a thin walled vessel. Random and interesting reactions can occur when certain types of glass chemically react with each other during the firing process. Polishing the outer wall of the vessel can reveal complex patterns and interactions within the glass structure.

This type of large highly polished vessel has won Alison several awards.  In 2015 the Royal Dublin Society awarded ‘Reactive Vessels I & II’ first place in the glass category and in 2016, ‘Symphony of Blue’ was awarded the bronze award at the international competition for glass artists ‘Emerge’ in America. Both the National Museum of Ireland and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland have acquired these works for their permanent collections.

Alison is originally from a textile background and is interested in colour theories, the interaction of colour and how we perceive colour. With these pieces she is creating statement pieces of glass for the contemporary home. She also feels passionately that the applied arts can have a political voice and continues to create art pieces, installations, and exhibitions alongside her more commercial vessel-based work.