Laura McKinley

Glassblower

©Liz Seabrook

Playing with transparency

Laura fell in love with glass instantly
Her work juxtaposes internal and external views
She embraces two contrasting techniques

Laura McKinley started out on her creative path early, taking art in school. But it was during her university studies that she discovered and fell in love with the alchemy of glass. Today, she divides her time between the hot glass workshop and her cold glass workspace where she finishes her pieces. In the blowing process there is room for spontaneity and the unexpected, she explains that this often challenges her initial ideas. In the finishing process she dissects the forms and reveals their internal structures, creating components to be carefully assembled later. This balance between the immediacy of blowing glass and the more methodical processes in the cold workshop are reflected in the themes of her work, that is both playful and sophisticated.

Interview

©Alick Cotterill

©Luca Sage

How did you discover glass?: It was part of an open day for the college I was applying to and when I saw hot glass it was instant. I knew I wanted to work with this material. I think it is like that for a lot of people – you are either scared to touch it or cannot get enough.
You work with glass hot and cold. Is there one you prefer?: No, each approach has its place. I need both to create the pieces I make. The fluid, unpredictable form of the material when it is hot, and then the time for cutting and polishing the work, making decisions when it is cold.
Do you have your own furnace?: No, I rent facilities and then I take the work back to my cutting workshop. This works well for me but it means I have to be organised and use my time wisely when working at the hot glass stage.
Are there elements of your work that surprise people?: Most people do not understand the cold finishing process. Once you cut glass it is rough and chipped, not shiny, and it needs to be polished back up. This can take a long time and if I do it right the end result is that you would never know about this stage.

Laura McKinley is a master artisan: she began her career in 2005 and she started teaching in 2016