MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Mossel Bay's Zandra Klapwijk is a consummate designer, designing and printing all sorts of items. She studied art at Stellenbosch University and has a good eye and excellent taste.
Mainly, she is a glass artist, using the technique of slumping. This is a process that uses gravity and heat from a kiln to shape sheet glass, using a mold.
PHOTO GALLERY: Glass art in Mossel Bay
You can also use bottles in this process. Literally, the glass "slumps" over the mold, in the heat of the kiln.
Element of unknown
What is exciting is the element of the unknown. One is never certain exactly how the item will turn out in the process. There is often a surprise when one opens the kiln.
This is the aspect of slum-ping that Zandra loves.
"It was my dad who got me interested in glass," Zandra says. "He was like a little child, so excited each time he showed me what he had done." This excitement was infectious and Zandra got into business with her father.
She has a gas kiln at her home, which dates back to 1975. But she uses a modern, electric kiln for her work.
Zandra designs glass items for decor and homeware. She makes bowls, spoon rests, plates, coloured glass pieces for inserts in doors and garden gates and more.
One uses coloured, finely powdered glass as the "paint" to decorate the glass before firing it. Zandra also paints inside bottles. The bottles, which flatten in the heat of the kiln, are then used as spoon rests.
Abstract
Her designs are mainly abstract, but Zandra also uses elements from nature, such as leaf designs.
Glass chips and glass beads can be scattered on glass before firing to create interesting textures and patterns. Zandra also places tin foil between two sheets of glass and places this in the kiln.
The different elements of the tin foil create interesting colours and textures.
When asked if she has injured herself, working with glass, Zandra says emphatically: "No! People think glass is fragile and dangerous, but it's tough and strong."
Zandra uses iconic logos from "proudly South African products" and prints them on coasters, bags and other items.
Embroidery
At one stage she trained a group of women to do hand embroidery and she has wonderful items the women embroidered.
She has also had unique fabric laptop bags made up.
Zandra's work in on sale at The Town's House, which is part of the Tourism Mossel Bay complex in Market Street.
To see an interview with Zandra on her glass art, go to: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DVdEHVlT_m4&feature=share.
Glass, glass everywhere.
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