S&HG// When you’re making, what are you thinking about? Is it all technical or are you able to let your mind wander?
It depends on the process stage that I'm working in. My final making stage, usually five rounds of hand polishing of the glass, is quite meditative and I often choose not to distract myself with a podcast or audio book while I'm working, because I enjoy the wandering thoughts and the particular light of engine room of Canberra Glassworks where I hand polish. The initial hot shop sessions working with molten glass out of the furnace are the opposite - I must have planned what I was going to do before going in, and making the best use of that time is critical. Glass is a highly technical material and demands a lot of knowledge and organisation to get a particular result. The kilnforming stage is a little of both - careful thinking and preparation ahead of time, then the waiting for days before the work is back at room temperature - and for me the most rewarding moment, opening the kiln and seeing exactly what happened.
S&HG// Have you ever had makers block? How do you overcome it?
I conquered a four-year makers block to develop the artwork for this exhibition. I find I need different things at different times to beat that critical voice in my head. Sometimes I need to just play with glass - make something just because I want to, not for a particular purpose. Sometimes a master class with set projects forcing me to try different things, and seeing what the other artists are doing, sets me going again. And sometimes I need a hard deadline to just get over it and start making!
S&HG// Overall, is your art practice meditation or migraine?
Definitely meditation - all the hours of thinking about different ideas, jotting things down in vague drawings that will remind me what I was thinking about. Lots of middle of the night problem-solving and sorting through options. Looking at what I've made so far and deciding if it's saying what I want it to; or if I need a whole new path.
Debra Jurss 2024