Archives: Artists

GRADUATE SHOW – terroir…

Meaningful castings, tracing the landscape of ancient and undisturbed woodland, capturing the metaphysical experience of being nurtured in nature.

Familiar forms and textures, recorded in ancient Sussex woodland, crafted in new and unexpected ways to create a collection of curiously compelling sculptural glass objects.

Developing a collection of sculptural pieces inspired by the natural and industrial textures of Isle of Harris, featuring textures of the world famous Harris Tweed, geology and coast. Annual collaboration exhibition with landscape photographer at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hampshire.

My Monday and Tuesday weekly sessions for people wanting to develop their skills and language in glass continues to go from strength to strength, resulting in another gropu on Wednesday night.

I continue to teach Introduction to Fusing as well as Artistic Glass Fusing at the National Glass Centre and Sunderland University, as well as continuing work with Cultural Spring. My outreach work has taken me to schools as part of enrichment projects as well as workshops set up by Cultural Spring in Sunderland and Hebburn and Creative Age in Washington.

Fused glass is an ancient art form. My pieces are a result of the merging of shapes and colours, the interplay of light and shadow and the use of extreme temperatures within the kiln. In recent times I have been enjoying working with making vessels.

My work is mainly intaglio engraving on either clear glass or coloured layered glass. I am fascinated by nature themes and by fantasy art. I do occasional large projects such as church windows and domestic glazed panels. I also enjoy intricate geometric designs on optical crystal pieces because of the reflections these produce.

Currently exploring the strip cut technique and really enjoying drop outs.

I make small and large, leaded and fused pieces, both decorative and architectural. I often incorporate both techniques in my work. This allows me to make larger pieces overcoming the restrictions of a small kiln. Glass painting is often incorporated in my leaded and fused work, I consider that this is what makes my work unique. I draw inspiration from the mountains and the natural work in which I live. I can often be found in the hills painting or taking photographs to create the atmosphere that influences my work.

Images from the natural and cosmic world have always been an inspiration to me as have the contrasts between matt and gloss, smooth and rough, light and dark, hard and soft. I also draw inspiration from my own life, memories of war and my work in the publishing industry whilst still keeping to my love of texture and the effect of light on glass.

Recently I have been working collaboratively with different artists and undertaken private commissions.

My work up until the pandemic concentrated on creating architectural work and on developing community projects, using glass to build self-belief and a feeling of well being within hard to reach communities and groups.

However, living through such a traumatic period makes one reflect on life and what is truly important. After so much fear and grief, I realised that I wanted to create small, beautiful, considered pieces of glass artwork that appealed to the senses and brought a burst of joy to the observer, a visual escape after so much misery.

Consequently, my new work looks back on simple pastimes. My aim was to enhance basic forms such as a stencil or the paper cut-out dolls of my childhood into small wonders of coloured and textured glass with different layers and the application of handmade glass decorative elements.

In my moments of escape to the beach, I have also looked at simple and transitory patterns made by man which then disappear under the oncoming tide. I have looked at the shapes and rationalised them into patterned panels.

For many art means painting and glass art is often unknown. My desire is to insinuate it into people’s consciousness by creating wall hung images that do not immediately look like or are presented like contemporary glasswork usually is. My intention is for people to find my work visually stimulating and then to appreciate the material so that my work is approachable for everyone.