My work primarily focuses on stained glass mosaics, a medium that has evolved as the core of my practice. Each stained glass sheet is meticulously cut into tiny pieces, shaped according to the design, and individually placed onto the base using an adhesive. Over the years, I have experimented with various surfaces for my base, from stainless steel to granite slabs. However, most of my work is designed on lightweight UPVC or MDF boards, later expertly framed in solid wood.
At its heart, my art is an expression of the delicate relationship between nature and human emotions. Through my compositions, I aim to evoke nostalgia, wonder, and an appreciation for the natural world. One of my most cherished commissioned projects was a stained glass mosaic featuring Cyprus vine flowers and Golden flame-back woodpeckers with little fireflies fluttering in the forest backdrop, a beloved childhood memory for my client. This project exemplified the deeply personal and emotional connections that art can foster. Another of my recent work with stained glass, titled ‘The Living Underwater world’, captures the delicate and interconnected world beneath the surface, where fresh and saltwater ecosystems thrive in harmony forming a full-circle. Each hand-cut glass piece mirrors the delicate balance of nature, forming an intricate dance of light, movement, and life. Schools of fish glide among floating lily pads and coral blooms, blending into the dark aquamarine abyss. The play of colors and textures mimics the fluidity of water, where reflections shift like fleeting memories.
Archives: Artists
New Artists and reviews
I specialize in a variety of powder techniques, 3D layered scenes mixing art and technology and am currently developing a series of tropical butterflies in fused glass.
I am currently working on a sculpture called “Take your trash home” which highlights the plight of pollution in our waters,
– Glass photography for artists and galleries
– Photography for the Just Glass book – “Brought to light”
– I’m a resident glass photographer at the Vessel Gallery
The vessels “Spring Enchantment”, “Spring’s Floral Embrace”, and “Spring Reverie” combine blown furnace glass with flame-worked borosilicate to contrast smooth transparency with delicate, opaque lampworked flowers. The hollow top adds an airy, ethereal quality, while the sculpted flowers, rich in intricate details, evoke the renewal and growth of spring. The blend of strong furnace glass and durable borosilicate flowers symbolises the balance between nature’s fragility and its strength, capturing the fresh, vibrant energy of the season.
Gavin retired as a doctor and swopped the focus and drama of the operating theatre for the alluring medium of warm glass. Themes in common include a passion for excellence, precision, science and tech and handling unpredictability.
New aspects include juggling myriad colours, light, inter-actions, intense heat and fragility.
Gavin got hooked on woven glass one freezing morning in February 2008, spotting a simple woven platter at the National Glass Centre shop, “I just had to master the technique!”
A few larger weave commissions are installed in UK and Greece, an out-of-studio workshop to create DIY weaves recently worked well. Smaller (mostly woven) items are in local galleries (Hexham and Consett).