Fused Glass Artistry ‘Bullrushes on Manton Flood Plain’ by Kathryn Webley

Kathryn’s fused glass artistry shines through in Bullrushes on Manton Flood Plain.  Here it is Spring, the view from the towpath of the Chesterfield Canal, shows the flood plain of the River Ryton.  Bullrushes and Cow Parsley are in abundance, so expertly created by the skill of Kathryn.

Set on a panel made of bullseye glass, Kathryn builds the scene fusing glass powders and frits.  Scenes that she observes when taking a stroll along the canal towpath.

The wall panel is mounted with standoff brackets.

Please not that each piece of fused glass artistry is handmade so some small variation will occur between works.

Photo credit for Simon Bruntnell.

Fused Glass Artistry Artist

Kathyrn Webley studied sculpture at Sheffield Polytechnic and went on to teach Art and Design in secondary schools.  It wasn’t until she fulfilled her desire to live on a Narrowboat, that she became intrigued with glass.   Fascinated by the patterns and reflections in the water and the associated flora of the canal bank.  Kathryn’s inspiration derives from the ‘corridor of nature’ that canals can create within urban areas. 

With glass, its properties of fluidity and transparency appealing to Kathryn, it is the ideal material to represent the canal scenes she loves.  Using coloured glass powders in the same way that a painter uses oils. Kathryn mixes the powders to create her own canal colour palette. Then using the layering technique of glass fusing she creates a three-dimensional depth within the landscape scenes.  As the seasons change the same stretch of canal evolves, as too does the resulting reflections upon the water, it is by this, that Kathryn’s creativity is alight.

Kathryn works from her purpose-built floating studio ‘The Pod’.  It is moored on the Chesterfield Canal. During its construction, Kathryn gave very specific instructions for room to be made for a kiln.

Kathryn’s work was on exhibit at the Contemporary Glass Society ‘Glorious Glass’ exhibition at St Helens and Aylesbury in 2019. In the second series of the BBC TV programme ‘Home is Where the Art is’ Kathryn was a winner. Two of her commissioned windows featured in a 2021 broadcast of More4’s ‘My Floating Home’.