During the beginning of my third year studying 3 Dimensional Design at Grays School of Art, I felt a desperate need to get away and search for some new inspiration towards my work. Luckily I had the chance to apply to ERASMUS and in result spent second semester studying at HAMK University of Applied Sciences in Hameenlinna, Finland.
It is undoubtedly the best decision I have ever made!
Daylight from 1000 until 1400, temperatures dropping as low as 32 degrees, hailstones in April and a sudden 25 degrees the following week was just the inspiration I needed!
I attended HAMK University, taking full advantage of their fantastic glass facilities, including a week in the famous glass village, Nuutajärvi, where I was taught glass blowing. 
The images I have displayed are three of many results from experimenting with painted safety glass, from Tamglass in Tampere, Finland, in order to create a tile collection or tableware. Working from images I gathered of natural forms I practised slumping, cutting, sand blasting, fusing, engraving and explored the compatibility of glasses. The reaction this glass formed when being fused with itself created an interesting texture which I chose to interpret as the cells and life within the buds of May. This symbolised the intense postponement of the epic transformation between the long nights and freezing temperatures to the sudden burst of summer weather and release of energy throughout Finland.
