Carol Griffin Enamels
The Stourbridge Glassmakers The Ruskin Glass Centre
The Stourbridge Glassmakers The Ruskin Glass Centre Carol Griffin enamels
All photographs and interviews by Sarah McDowall
Carol Griffth Enamel maker
“My name is Carol Griffth, I’ve been at the Ruskin centre for two years. Before this I taught for over 30 years part time in a school, teaching art and design.” “I make and sell enamels and I also run workshops in enamelling. I make all my own work, whether it’s wall panels, bowls, jewellery or bespoke commissioned work.” “Enamelling is fusing powdered glass onto metal and the metals are usually steel, copper, sliver and gold. If you aren’t adhering it onto metal it then becomes glass work. So I don’t tend to do any glass on its own”
“My degree was 3 dimensional design, I specialised in sliver smithing and jewellery. I started a very small business when I left college but then went into teaching full time. So my own work got put on the back burner�
“The firings only take a couple of minutes, but there may be quite a lot of work before hand and afterwards. It can take anything from an hour to a couple of days to make a piece.�
“The glass industry in Stourbridge goes back a long time. Now, although the traditional glass industry has almost disappeared. There is still a need for hand crafted work, whether it’s glass, metal, whatever. Thankfully because of the heritage or the glass industry here, it’s drawn new artists and makers to the area and places like the Ruskin centre are great for encouraging and supporting them.”
“The Ruskin centre is great for getting a mix of different people together. There are quite a few glass makers but there are other makers craftsmen as well which is a nice mix because often I can borrow a sandblaster or someone can make some frames for me. So it works quite nicely to get a mix of people, not just specialised glass makers.�
“I believe in educating people and making them aware of processes and technique. So that they can tell the difference in something that is hand made here and something you buy from China, hopefully they can understand why there is such a price difference.�
Stourbridge is a town, located in the West Midlands and is known to be the glass quarter of England. Glassmaking in Stourbridge can be dated as far back as 1612, the glass is still classed as some of the world’s finest and has been used many times as gifts for royalty. The Ruskin Glass Centre is a distinct space that encompasses an array of glassmakers who are all very successful. They all have their own techniques and although it might not look like the materials they use are glass, they all have one thing in common they all are glassmakers The Stourbridge Glassmakers. Thank you to Carol Griffin for her time and patience. www.ruskinglasscentre.co.uk
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