The temperatures have plummeted to a whopping -10 degrees yesterday. During the night it was even much colder. Since the sun was out I thought it was a good opportunity to take a few photos and try to capture the colours and the beauty of Winter at home in Mueden/Aller in Lower-Saxony. #earth #colour #nature

A few impressions of this year's Summer Exhibition. It's always worth a visit! #exhibition #Colour #London

The Shuttleworth Collection in Bedfordshire is always worth a visit. Apart from the fact that all the planes are in wonderful condition (most of them actually still fly!) there is an abundance of tiny details to behold. Today I found many examples of joining techniques and interesting shapes. #colour #joint #materials

...in Bedford Park. First opened in 1888 it is now a grade II listed landscape park and the largest park in the city of Bedford. We are fortunate to be living very close by and we enjoy our strolls around the large pond with all its waterfowl. I particularly love the view from the pavillion up to the little restaurant. The park features well maintained boarders and is a feast for the eye all year round. #inspiration #colour #shapes #nature

On our trip through Iceland we were able to witness nature's force first hand. Just listen to the relentless hissing of the pressure being released. In addition to that the geothermal area is a feast for the eye in case you fancy the yellow/grey colour contrast and the flickering of the hot evaporating air. #nature #colour #sound

Davide Penso demonstrating at London Glassblowing. It was very nice to catch up. #Penso #glass #colour

I just love Kevin Coates' work. Many of his pieces consist of a combination of various crafts. Most importantly, goldsmithing. His attention to detail is out of this world and his choice of colours wonderful. Pictures taken at Harley Gallery, Welbeck. #Coates #colour #detail #craft

On our way to Llandudno we pass through an amazingly beautiful landscape. Many inspiring shapes and colours to be found... #stone #colour #shapes #inspiration

What an inspiration. Nora Fok speaks about her experience with nylon. It is lovely to delve into her design process. One of the objectives of the workshop is the dyeing of nylon thread. Great fun! I love the 3D printed pieces. This is going to be another path to try... #Fok #nylon #colour #3D #masterclass

Making some marbles for a change. It feels a bit weird to be working off-mandrel, but I quite like the results. #glass #colour

I was fortunate to visit The Gambia together with my family. It was an amazing trip. We saw so much and were amazed by the beauty of the landscape and the hospitality of the people. Of course, I was searching for colour and inspiration... #colour #Gambia #shapes #sunrise #earth #bird #beach #sea #contrast

Today I thought about perception. I created two beads with dots the other day and I wonder which one appeals to you more. One is completely white. The eye can just see some texture on the surface. Depending on the light the texture seems to change and the white will appear in different hues. (This doesn't really make photography easier...) The other one was made in my favourite colours, greens and blues. You will notice instantly that the color adds depth and makes the bead

So this will be the last day our our journey. We decide to spend most of it in Venice. Again, we are lucky to have another sunny but cold day. Our short boat trip takes us to the north of Venice and we do not have to search for long until we find the shop of Maestro Vittorio Constantini. He welcomes us into his studio and invites us to have a look at his fabulous collection of glass insects, fish, birds and other animals that he has created over the last years. After explai

Today we are going to visit Burano. The little island close to Venice that is known for lace-making and its picturesque colourful houses. We will not be dissapointed. Our trip starts at Murano's lighthouse, where colorful ducks of glass greet the travellers. Soon we approach Burano. The houses are really colorful... We stroll around and enjoy the wonderful weather. Though it is still freezing cold, the sun allows to take some nice pictures. One of the little shops special

The day starts with a look out of the window and onto the canal at Fondamenta Venier: Snow!! Unbelievable, but true. It is so cold that the surface of the canal freezes in some areas. This day is the last day of teaching in our schedule. It is packed full of techniques, demonstrations and practice. This has been a fantastic workshop! We have learned so much and the location can honestly not be topped by anything... ...and I was quite chuffed by one of my resulting pieces... #

Today we only stay in Lucio's Studio for the morning. In regards to the Carnavale that starts in Venice today, we witness the creation of a harlequin. ********** We finally head for the "bus" to Venice and spend a wonderful afternoon despite the terribly cold weather. This has been another fantastic day full of inspiration... #Colour #Bubacco #detail #carnavale #masterclass

This day starts with some practice on the men's torso. Lucio gives us some tricky bits to practice when he demonstrates a centaur. Especially the composition of the body and the correct posture of the legs prove to be a challenge. Inconceivable how detailed such a small statue can get. Just look at the bow and arrow! ********** We then take a brake and pay a visit to Pino Signoretti's workshop where we witness the creation of a beautiful piece of art. The sheer size of the gl

Our second day starts with some details that need to be practised in order to manage the larger pieces. We watch how legs can be made using different techniques. In addtition, we see how to achieve the correct proportions of a torso... ...and, of course, the human hand. (This piece was very interesting not just because of the perfect shape of the hand itself, but also due to the curlicue that finished it off.) We spent lunchtime in Carlo Dona's Workshop which proved to be

After showing the group around in his workshop, Lucio introduces us to the world of sculptural lampworking. What a great challenge. In a couple of mindblowing demonstrations Lucio Bubacco shows us how to control heat and how to use gravity in order to create his fantastic creatures. For lunch we are joined by the famous lampwork artist Vittorio Constantini and his wife. They spoil us with a delicious risotto! After lunch Vittorio demonstrates the creation of a little bird. Wo

The long awaited trip to Murano begins... A few very exciting days lay ahead... #Murano #Colour #lampworkers #detail