Gals of Glazz - Kate Nixon

I wanna get back on the wagon so to kick it off, the first Gal of Glazz for 2017 (bloody hell is that date right?!) is all round super star Kate Nixon. Kate is one of those gems that just radiates good guy vibes. She is an excellent glass blower, killer assistant on a team and great sense of humour. She is also one of those people who is always willing to help out. (This gorgeous gal offered to drive my exhibition works from canberra to adelaide and delivered! Thank you Kate, I owe you somethin real good!) I have just been seeing some of the epic shots from the Aus Glass Conference pop up in my feed and there is the lady herself! So I thought that must be a sign to get this bad boy up and running again....

Gals of Glazz

Tune in for 10

1.             Who are you and what do you do?

I am a Kiwi-born, Aussie-trained blower of the glazz. Fresh outta the JamFactory Associate program in 2015, I am now living in Canberra and splitting my time between Craft ACT and the Canberra Glassworks.

2.             What do you make?

I collect, covet and make objects. My work is about the way in which our private identities are expressed through the things we collect and the material mass we will eventually leave behind.  I like to transform kitsch shells, old wallpaper and gaudy flowers into precious decorations, adorning large urns and sparkling mosaics, as homage to the mundane accumulations of our lives.

3.             Why do you make?

As we all know, the world needs more stuff. Especially glass stuff. I’m just doing my bit.

4.             What’s you colour palette?

1970’s – think mission brown, orange, avocado and lime

5.             What’s your proudest achievement?

Making it through the JamFactory Associate Program – marriage intact!

6.             Hot or Cold?

Definitely hot

7.             What’s your dream project?

A large, well-funded public mosaic project would be awesome. Or global flea market reviewer, perhaps?

8.             What’s your influences?

I’m heavily influenced by the aesthetics of the 1970’s, kitsch and folk art. I started listing my glass heroes but the list got too long – they know who they are!

9.             What’s coming up for you? Or what are you looking forward to?

I just returned from a four-month residency at Berlin Glas. I am now looking forward to the husband-imposed travel ban being lifted in 2018. Oh, and I am looking forward to the Ausglass Conference in Canberra in January and catching up with all my interstate glass buddies!

10.         If you could only eat 3 foods for the rest of your life what would they be?

Assuming wine is not covered by these restrictions; cheese, bread and eggs (pronounced iggs)