Grace Turner
Art has forever been a large part of my life. Always creating in a range of media and methods including ceramics, fibre, printmaking and glass, my perception and interpretation of our environment has been depicted in many forms.
Through teaching Art and Design for over 30 years, as well as some time for travel, I have been exposed to a constant source of inspiration for a diverse application of colour, shape and form. My tertiary studies in ceramics also enabled me to adapt my knowledge to the properties of glass.
Exploring glass through the expertise of a friend and glass artist, as well as much self directed experimentation and participation in workshops, I embarked on an intriguing journey. The fluidity, richness of colour, transparency and tactile qualities of glass all play a part in maintaining my interest in this media.
Colour is the most predominant feature of my work. Through colour, I find that I can create abstract images which draw parallels to rural and urban environments. However there are also times that I thoroughly enjoy playing with colour purely for its own sake.
The nature of glass allows me to create depth in my work. By layering glass powders and screen printing imagery within the multiple layers of coloured glass, the viewer is enticed to look closely into the panels.
I am an Australian artist and live in the city of Melbourne. Using inspiration from nature around my home and photographs from my travels, I work from my studio at home; drawing, designing, cutting glass, creating silk screens and then printing onto the glass to create glass art panels.
Each panel is kiln fired numerous times at various temperatures up to 800 degrees celsius and can be in the kiln for up to 24 hours. After each firing, the design process can often flow in a new direction. Firing more layers of glass together is all part of the journey to the finished piece.
I hope my work can instill into others a sense of serenity and as well as an enjoyment of art regardless of the piece being functional or decorative.
