About Sue King
Originally qualifying with a BA Interior Design degree, I spent several years working for hotel design practices, followed by running my own design consultancy for 8 years. The experience I gained included drafting detailed drawings, creating concept schemes, together with practical onsite project management experience. I loved the design challenges and being part of creating some beautiful spaces in wonderful buildings.
However, a long held love for glass beckoned and I did a stained glass course which led to a few years of making small scale interior pieces. My passion for glass was truly set and so I took the plunge into a career change, going back to college and in 2002 I was awarded a PG certificate in Glass with Architecture/Fine Art from Central St Martins College of Art &Design, London. I loved the course, got hooked on kiln forming glass and knew I had to continue, somehow!
In 2002, I joined Cockpit Arts in Deptford, and work from my studio there today. It is a fabulous site of creative designer makers and is endlessly supportive and inspiring.
A passion for colour and inspiration taken from great artists, along with references to nature and pattern is present throughout all my work. I love taking photographs of nature and architecture and regularly visit art exhibitions. Using references from photos and the world around me, I enjoy sketching out ideas to generate new designs. Working like this has developed a fluid style in my work, and, combined with a personal touch of painting watercolours, has inspired my freehand cutting in glass.
Working with glass is always inspiring and I experiment with several processes, creating a unique fusion of effects. I love the hands on process of working with glass, often cutting out the glass quite intuitively as I develop the piece. I work with a range of glass called ‘bullseye’. The colour palette for this range is gorgeous and overlays beautifully to create new hues. The cut pieces of glass are overlaid onto a clear sheet of glass, then fired at temperatures of around 815 degrees.
Often each piece will need 2 or 3 firings, according to the finish desired, and the joy of opening the kiln up after a firing never diminishes!
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