Explore pâte de verre and glass foam in this four-day hands-on masterclass with award-winning glass artist Joshua Kerley. Combine the delicate, granular quality of pâte de verre with the light, porous and wonderfully unpredictable texture of foamed glass to create distinctive vessels and sculptural forms. You will begin by making and experimenting with glass foam, exploring how particle size, colour, opacity and firing temperature affect the way the glass expands and bubbles. Cutting, crushing and coldworking the fired foam will reveal its fascinating cellular structure, allowing you to create unique inclusions and sculptural additions.

Next, develop your pâte de verre forms by making refractory moulds using Joshua’s own plaster-silica recipe. Prepare and apply glass paste, incorporate foam-glass elements, and learn how to pack, programme and fire your work. Experiment with colour, texture and form as you explore the contrasting qualities of these two glass techniques and develop your own individual pieces.

Joshua will demonstrate each stage of the process and share his approach to mould-making, kiln firing and combining pâte de verre with glass foam. Work directly alongside him in the studio, ask questions as your work develops and receive individual guidance on your own pieces and experiments.