Ellen Hunt, one of our trainee conservators, recently attended the Colour Filling with Epoxy Resins course led by ICON accredited conservators Sarah Peek ACR and Jasmina Vučković ACR. While the course primarily focused on ceramics, the innovative techniques it explored will allow us to enhance our stained glass conservation practices and build upon Ellen’s own understanding of conservation practices more broadly.
Throughout the course, Ellen explored how these methods could be applied to glass conservation, learning advanced skills in bulked epoxy resin preparation, colour matching, polishing, and more.
We asked her to she share her experience with us and the new approaches she’s excited to bring back to our studio:
“At the end of February, I had the privilege of taking Sarah Peek’s ACR Colour Filling with Epoxy Resins course for ceramics taught by both Sarah and Jasmina Vučković ACR. The course offered a dynamic mix of PowerPoint presentations showcasing examples of restored works, hands-on demonstrations of techniques and practical sessions which explored the four primary processes of colour filling; bulked epoxy resin preparation, colour matching, filling and and polishing. One of the most valuable aspects of the course was learning about the various types of materials and applications that are best suited for colour filling.
I particularly enjoyed the colour matching process and was surprised by the level of complexity involved in achieving the perfect balance of colour and opacity. Sarah’s method of creating a colour palette provided a systematic, controlled approach to colour matching. My main take away from the course was the conservation and restoration philosophy behind their approach; creating a fill for each distinct ‘layer’ of the ceramic (a corefill and a glaze layer) to accurately replicate the missing section. This not only ensures precise restoration but also helps the fill interact with light in the same way the original material does.
Although the course focused on ceramics, I’m excited to take the skills I’ve learnt back to the studio and apply them to our work with stained glass conservation. I’m looking forward to experimenting with different dyes and epoxy resins to match the unique translucency and depth of a variety of types and textures of glass such as flashed vs pot metal glass. Additionally, it would be interesting to experiment with various glass finishes, such as painted glass surfaces, and understanding how different surface treatments can affect the way light interacts with the resin fill. Overall, the course has inspired me to push the boundaries of colour filling and to apply this knowledge in innovative ways to both stained glass conservation and contemporary creations.”
We’re excited to see how Ellen will help us apply these new techniques to our work and enable us to continue exploring fresh approaches to stained glass conservation practice and beyond!