Where the sky's burning

You've probably heard Australia being called the Red Continent, as it looks red when seen from space (photo credit / source). The explanation lays in its soil. Australia happens to have a perfect environment, hot and dry, for a particular form of chemical weathering called oxidation. This occurs in rocks that contain high amounts of iron. In this type of environment, these rocks actually begin to rust. As the rust expands, it weakens the rock and helps break it apart. The oxides produced through this process give the ground its reddish hue.

Sunset over Northmead, NSW, captured outside the studio. June 2020 

I, however, associate the phrase with a different phenomenon - Australia's burning skies. I cannot remember to have seen this many deep red sunsets anywhere else in the world. Unfortunately, I do not have a photo of my favourite one, observed in the Central Tablelands in August 2016. Our car was not the only one stopping to admire the spectacle! The sky was lit in an almost unnatural red around a glowing golden sun.

The Sunset Collection is based on these memories, it's defined by a mix of radiant orange, red, white and clear/transparent glass. Its irregular, intricate pattern is the result of an elaborate procedure involving many fusing cycles. The original slab was cut in small stripes, flipped by 90 degrees, realigned and refused. This process was repeated multiple times until the desired effect was achieved.

Banner photo: Silverton/Broken Hill, NSW, September 2016