Felicity Smith
"Glass is like nothing else I know. It has attitude. Glass
has all the characteristics of liquid, yet it's not a liquid.
It's eccentric. Glass keeps you focussed, it will not be taken
for granted. I like that."
Felicity Smith has been working with glass for two decades and
works across the board, moving easily between large stained glass
feature installations, through sculptural works and table centre-pieces
to classic fashion jewellery statements.
Winner of the John Olsen scholarship, Felicity incorporates her
fine arts training into her studio glass practice. Born in Zimbabwe,
educated in Ireland, her rich African and Irish roots resonate
in her works as she draws reference from her earlier life experiences.
Felicity's glass arts practice stems from her leadlight apprenticeship
in the 1980's which imbued the artist with a deep respect and
love of her medium:
"I love the way the light interacts with glass. I can't walk
into a cathedral without being moved by the colour and the action
- the magical effects of the light moving through and around the
glass before spilling coloured light over the floor. Taking that
magic and putting it into someone's home, well that's the privilege
of my trade."
After a decade working with 'cold' glass Felicity moved into the
area of 'warm glass and 'hot' glass.
"In my early career, I learned all about cold glass, which
is reliable and predictable. Warm glass is, by contrast, very
temperamental. It's unforgiving. One needs to be disciplined and
forward-thinking in one's approach."
'Warm' glass, also known as kiln-fired glass, involves casting
and fusing a number of layers of glass and design elements together.
The glass is then made molten in specialised glass kilns before
being gradually allowed to return to its solid state, transforming
in the process to a new, unified whole.
The fused piece may then undergo a second or third firing before
being ready for cold working which may include cutting, grinding,
bevelling and polishing. The process is lengthy and often problematic.
"When I load the kilns, I am taking a calculated risk. I
know what should happen, but it might not. It's challenging and
frustrating - I'm working with my medium but it's answering me
back. There is a definite dialogue!
QUALIFICATIONS
Diploma Fine Arts - Julian Ashton Art School Sydney
Leadlight and Glass Certificate 3
SCHOLARSHIPS
John Olsen Scholarship 2007
AWARDS
Australia Day Awards, Senior Cultural Award 2002
ART FESTIVALS (Festival
Coordinator)
2000 Cirque de Lune
2001 Strictly Boonah
2003 Open Sesame
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2010 Evolution Art and Soul Gallery, Boonah
2010 Acclaim! Art and Soul Gallery, Boonah
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS (cont)
2009 JAAS Scholars & Teachers Exhibition, Sydney
2008 JAAS Scholars & Teachers Exhibition, Sydney
2007 Eutlick Memorial Still Life Awards (EMSLA), Finalist
2007 JAAS Scholars & Teachers Exhibition, Sydney
2006 Reflections Boonah Regional Art Gallery, Scenic Rim
2005 Factory Girls, Boonah Regional Art Gallery, Scenic Rim
2003 Quintessence, Boonah Regional Art Gallery, Scenic Rim
2002 DPI Year of the Outback, Dalby, Finalist
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Julian Ashton Art School, George Street, Sydney 2000 - sculpture,
anatomy, cast drawing, figurative painting, drawing from life
and still life (relief teacher). I taught as required at Ashton's
from 2007 to 2009.
Boonah Regional Art Gallery
Association, 3 High Street, Boonah QLD 4310 - constructive anatomy,
draftsmanship, drawing from life, still life painting, figurative
painting and Renaissance techniques
I am engaged in teaching
a small class of 17 students in a professional development programme
for 24 weeks from May 2010 to November 2010.
I taught cold glass at TAFE
and have been teaching private students at my studios since 1989.
I have co-ordinated a large
number of workshops for festivals.
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
I originally trained as a stained glass artist. After completing
my training at The Leadlight Workshop in Stafford, I founded two
glass studios concurrently - Fenestra Stained Glass in Bulimba
and The Leadlight Company in Boonah.
After twenty years working
in hot warm and cold glass, I retrained in Fine Arts studying
classical sculpture and painting with a focus on Renaissance techniques.
I hold a Diploma in Fine
Arts from the Julian Ashton Art School (JAAS) in Sydney where
I won the John Olsen Scholarship in 2007.
I continue to work in glass,
in addition to sculpture and painting. Art & Soul Gallery
Boonah sell my kiln formed glass, bronze and 2D works which are
on permanent display.