I have always been fascinated by glass and I love its transparency, how it allows the play of light and colour– its ability to reflect and refract light that falls on it. It is almost magical and it brings out the little child in me. My dog, Whisky tends to fuss when I reflect the light on our ceiling or walls making an awful din with her barking and chasing the light around the room.

When we built our house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, my husband and I commissioned a glass artist to create a stained glass window, which became the centrepiece of our home. Funnily, the geometric design was based on a new carpet that I had bought for the house. I also had the same design on the marble floor in our entrance hall complete with brass inlay.

During my travels, I love visiting old mansions, stately homes, castles and churches to look at their stained glass windows. It lends me a certain curiosity about glass but despite the interest; I did not indulge myself in the art, as work and my family took priority then.

When we used to live in St Albans in Hertfordshire, UK , I had a neighbour who had lovely stained glass windows in her home. I walked my dog past her house everyday, twice a day for almost 8 years and never really looked. One summer day, I finally saw this beautiful house with its amazing windows. I was in awe of the stunning colours in the sunshine. I managed an invitation to view the house from the inside and it was simply breathtaking. That same day, I searched for a course in glass and enrolled myself for the summer school at the Art Academy in London under Brett Manley, who is an amazing glass artist. I learnt to do kiln formed glass and in that short time created some lovely pieces – using copper and silver wires in the glass design. There was no looking back- I was hooked on glass.

When my husband took up his post in Singapore we sold our St Albans home and I moved to a small flat in London. I had to research a cold technique using glass without the fuss of having a kiln – that was when I learnt the technique of Verre Eglomise. I love the effect of the gold on glass and I owe this to Christine McInnes who is an antique restorer and artist gilder in London. She is a wonderful teacher who is so talented and most generous with her art.

I have been dabbling in verre eglomise since then, work permitting as I was working full time until recently. I also managed a short course at the Slade Art School at University College London to go back to basics to learn about colours. I now have more time to indulge in my art, with the children grown up and more independent and I spend a considerable amount of time shuttling between Singapore and London.

I hope you will enjoy my collection of “Glass and Gold” at the The Arts House, Singapore. The exhibition will be on from 4 June 2013 until 13 June 2013. The opening times will be 10am -8pm.

This exhibition has been supported by The Arts House Visual Arts Scheme.