I’ve been playing with some ideas for using recycled window glass this week.

My main inspirations for these two plates is the combinations of regular lines and shapes in mandalas repeated patterns and flower petals.

The plain sheets of glass, one from a broken greenhouse and the other the glazing from an unwanted art print, were cut into shape.  Then I used powdered enamels for the green petals  and enamel paint for the blue design.

The powdered enamels were fires on the bottom side so the eating surface would be plain clear glass.  Unfortunately the enamels stuck to my slumping mould, pulling off all the primer so I will have to sand down and reapply that not.

I still have a few more test to carry out before I decide which of these  I prefer for adding colour and interest to clear glass but of the two, I’m leaning toward the enamel paint at the moment for versatility and ease of use.    I like the fact that it’s lead free and the powders have already been mixed with the paint substrate so there is no hazards to the lungs, but I had some very interesting results making my own oil pastels with some blue enamel last month so I’m not ruling the powders out just yet.