e: mburnell@cardiffmet.ac.uk
t: 02920416742
Specialist Subject Areas
Fusing, slumping, and casting glass Casting of resin, wax and pewter
Fondu Cement casts Making moulds Making Paper Upholstery Carpentry
(Classic Car interiors) Wire work Spot welding to jewellery Wood
finishes including French Polishing Paint techniques including marbling,
graining and dragging Other interests Include cycling, model making,
calligraphy, learning Illustrator an Adobe package. Currently
experimenting in reclaiming reusing glass bottles and window glass,
slumping flat, then overlaying pieces to fuse and slump them together.
Making plates at present hopefully to advance to then make wall
hangings. Making different moulds(a science of its own) to slump the
glass onto which has endless possibilities. Passing on my knowledge to
Students.
Qualifications
City and Guilds in Painting Decorating, Distinction in Practice
Biography
Came to Cardiff Metropolitan University (UWIC) (then South Glamorgan
institute for Higher Education) in 1989 to do a City and Guilds
Decorating course. Within six months of the course I was asked to join
the Decorating team and was allowed to continue my studies part time. I
came away with a First in Theory and a Distinction in Practice, loved
every minute of it. Prior to that I had been a Coachbuilders apprentice
working for a brilliant man who learnt the trade from working for a
famous Bristol car company. The job entailed us stripping all manner of
classic cars for refurbishment making hoods, seats, door panels, making
and veneering dashboards, in fact renewing everything in it. This is
where I believe I got my love of making, learning new techniques and
generally loving process. In 1995 I was attached to the Foundation
course in Art and Design. Here I was lucky enough to work along side a
brilliant academic who was a Designer Maker. He led the 3D side of
foundation, where I was shown a whole host of new and fascinating
techniques ( -some downright dangerous, Cast Iron Pouring- But that’s
another story!). Whilst at Llandaff our workshops started catering to
the needs of Textiles (then Print and Pattern Design). In about 2003/4
Foundation moved to the Howard Gardens Campus and I remained to expand
and support the new flourishing makers side, bringing onboard my already
gained skills whilst still learning new ones. I have been lucky enough
to work along side some of the kindest and most knowledgeable people and
teams who were willing to pass on their knowledge to me.
