Artist Bio
After studying at the Belfast College of Art and Design, Irene McBride gained a PGCE at Bristol University in 1975 and returned to Northern Ireland to teach for 14 years in secondary education.
She commenced her glass career in 1990 and went on to tutor glasswork in fused and “Tiffany” glass to a wide range of students from pre-school to retirees.
Irene creates unique pieces of glass using traditional and modern practices and techniques. These include leading, “Tiffany”/copper-foil work, kiln-formed glass, hand engraving, painting, and stained glass. Her visual response to the world is through the diverse and exacting medium of glass. The detail and patterns in nature are to her as inspirational as the expanse of land and seascapes, as an avid beachcomber, she see authenticity and beauty in found objects. These “objets trouves” often become integral elements of her finished work.
