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Glass artist interview with Sibylle Peretti

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date January 8, 2025

Sibylle Peretti brings a sense of magic and myth to her mixed media pieces that combine a variety of glass and draughtsmanship skills. Linda Banks finds out more.

You are a skilled artist with a background in sculpture. What led you to start working with glass?

I started working with glass long before I studied sculpture and painting at the Art Academy in Cologne, Germany. I was 19 when I began a three-year course at the School for Glass Making in Zwiesel. I became interested in the material because of my deep connection to my father, who worked as a designer for a large glass manufacturing company. He inspired me to see glass as one of the most fascinating materials.

‘Backwater’ is comprised of kiln-formed glass, engraved, painted, silvered, paper, print. It measures 38″ x 40″.

What glass techniques have you used, and which do you prefer?

At the glass school in Zwiesel I learned traditional glass painting, engraving, lampworking and basic glassblowing skills. I still love to combine engraving with painting. In addition, I make sculptures in kiln-cast glass and create deep glass wall reliefs using the kiln-forming process. But I don’t limit myself to traditional glass techniques. Rather, I explore the unconventional use of the material by combining it with paper, pencil drawing and photography. I see glass as a perfect transparent or translucent canvas – a material that is made for holding many layers of information: light, marks, colours and imagery.

Sibylle’s moulds for slumping glass.

You often use mixed media to create your magical pieces. Please tell use more about your creative approach. Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?

My recent wall panels start with photographs of landscapes, flora, fauna and objects that I take from my immediate surroundings. Often these are places that are fragile and threatened by climate change or urban expansion. Combining drawing, painting and collaging the photographs is part of my process. Once the final layout of the images is decided, the translation onto glass can begin. In the process, I often modify parts of the layout to suit the possibilities of the glass. For me, working with glass is a permanent interplay with ideas and the possibilities of the material to make the idea stronger.

Sibylle’s work in progress. She combines photography, print and mixed media to create her unique pieces.

Finished piece ‘Floating Kite’ comprises kiln-formed glass, engraved, silvered, painted, paper, print.

You feature children and nature in your work. What message(s)do you want to convey through your art?

I am interested in capturing narratives about the beautiful and poetic, yet disrupted, relationship between humans and the natural world. My hope is that we can reimagine our fractured connection to nature and our environment. I am always searching for the possibility of resilience, renewal, redirection and unity. The children in my work represent both vulnerability and strength. They seem to come alive through a new and intimate, perhaps mystical, reconnection to nature. I also imagine them as prophets who see things we do not.

‘Thaw’ is made from kiln-cast and hot-moulded glass. Photo: Will Crocker.

You have taught glass and mixed media, as well as undertaking many artists’ residencies. What have these experiences contributed to your life and work?

Teaching and artist residencies are two different things. When I am teaching, I am really impressed by the passion and curiosity of many of the students to really push themselves and to learn different ways of working with glass in a short period of time. I try to help them find a personal, authentic sensitivity to the material. It’s not about how many techniques you can learn, but about you and your passion to become one with the idea and the material. It’s a beautiful feeling to see that happen.

An artist residency is a recognition of your own work. It gives you dedicated time and financial support to work on new ideas. It’s a carefree time that is invaluable to artists. During my residencies I often start complex projects that I would not be able to support on my own.

What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why is it your favourite?

My camera is my favourite tool. Even though I call many tools my favourite, the camera captures images that are essential to start my projects. However, my wax tools for carving moulds and modelling details in wax are very close to my heart too. I get crazy if I displace the one I love the most. I also love my kiln very much.

‘Before it Turns to Gold’ wall panel made from kiln-formed glass, engraved, painted, silvered, paper, print. Dimensions: 68″x84″x1″.

Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?

That’s a hard question to answer because there’s not one particular piece. When I work, I create a body of different pieces and they all relate to each other and form a whole. But if I had to name one work right now, it’s probably ‘Snow Child’. The process of building this sculpture was magical and I felt like I was creating life, just like in the Russian fairy tale The Snow Maiden, which was the inspiration for this sculpture. The process of forming a human body out of wax and transforming it into white glass was a special and unforgettable moment.

‘Snow Child III’ is made from kiln-cast glass and measures 45″h x40″w x 20″d. Photo: Cameron Wood.

Another current favourite is my most recent mural, ‘After the Flood Before the Storm’. The Mississippi River with the skyline of New Orleans was the setting for this panel. It’s an imaginary landscape where a horse and plants use human remnants and relics to create and reinvent a stronger, fertile habitat after a disaster. [See main feature image]

Where do you show and sell your work?

I show and sell my work in galleries, alternative spaces and museums.

Where is your creative practice heading next?

I have started working on a new project with the title ‘Where the Rubies Grow’. I plan to develop it over the next five years. Through this work I want to investigate the diverse beauty of gold ruby glass. I also want to connect the significance of ruby gemstones to the magical process of making gold ruby glass. The ruby’s bloodlike colour encourages strong associations with this life-sustaining fluid. In the past, those who risked their lives were believed to have a special connection to the gem. The ancient Burmese prized the ruby as the stone of soldiers. They believed it bestowed invincibility. However, wearing it close to the heart wasn’t enough; only those who had rubies physically inserted into their flesh would gain its benefit.

Blown and cast glass piece ‘Where the Rubies Grow’ (23″ x 10″)

The ruby’s glow seems to hint that it contains an inner fire. It was said that a ruby placed in water could bring it to the boil or, if hidden in wrapping, that it could shine through and reveal its presence. It is said that the first wife of King Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon, foretold her death from the darkening of her ruby.

These tales and many superstitions are the foundation of my curiosity to explore the importance and magic of gold ruby glass. The project will include an installation of kiln-cast glass, as well as kiln-formed wall panels combined with found objects and video.

About the artist

Sibylle Peretti working on a cast glass piece.

Sibylle Peretti lives and works in Cologne, Germany and New Orleans, USA. She received her MFA in Sculpture and Painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Cologne and a Master in Glass Making and Design from the State School of Glass in Zwiesel, Germany.

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including grants from the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and the Joan Mitchell Foundation.

In 2012 Sibylle Peretti was awarded the United States Artists Friends Fellowship.

Find out more about Sibylle Peretti via her website: https://sibylleperetti.com/home.html

Main feature image: ‘After the Flood before the Storm’ is made from kiln-formed glass, engraved, silvered, painted, paper, print. It measures 52″h x 84″w x 1″d.

Apply for QEST training grants of up to £18k

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date January 6, 2025

In its role of sustaining vital skills in traditional and contemporary crafts, twice a year the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) offers three grants to support makers and conservators at various stages of their careers. Grants are available for education and training, with Scholarships of up to £18,000, Emerging Maker grants of up to £10,000, and up to £12,000 towards an apprentice’s salary.

Many glass artists have benefited from these funds over the years. For example, in the Autumn 2024 round of awards, stained glass artist Natasha Redina received an Emerging Maker award towards a Master’s in Glass and Ceramics at the Royal College of Art. Her QEST funding will enable her continued development and refinement of technical and artistic skills. Fann Chau also received support as an apprentice in glassblowing, working at Michael Ruh Glass Studio in London.

The Spring round of grants is now open, with applications closing at 5pm on Monday 10 February 2025. The awards will be made in May 2025.

Since its founding in 1990, QEST has awarded £7 million to almost 900 individuals working across a broad range of disciplines, including in glassblowing, thatching, guitar making, sign writing, ceramics and many more.

If you are interested in applying, visit the QEST website to read the guidance documents about each category. You can also sign up for a Zoom information session and apply here: https://www.qest.org.uk/qestgrants/

Graham Knowles awarded MBE

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date January 3, 2025

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Chairman of the British Glass Foundation Graham Knowles has been recognised in the King’s 2025 New Year’s Honours List with an MBE for services to heritage.

The honour recognises his long-term philanthropism and community involvement and, particularly, his Chairmanship of the British Glass Foundation, which was established in 2009 to create a new museum to house the prestigious glass collection held at Broadfield House Glass Museum when it was set for closure. His tenacity and leadership kept the dream of a new museum alive and resulted in the opening of the new Stourbridge Glass Museum in 2022. The state-of-the-art building houses 10,000 pieces and holds regular exhibitions of contemporary glass too.

Commenting on the MBE, Graham said, “I’m honoured to be considered and it certainly wasn’t expected. We have a great team of trustees and volunteers who have made it all happen and I’m just part of that, really.”

Lynn Boleyn, secretary to the trustees of the British Glass Foundation, stated, “Graham has given many hours of voluntary leadership, as well as being unstinting with practical and financial help, all in addition to his own considerable business activities.

“His energy and enthusiasm have motivated and encouraged the rest of the team and the wider community. His open and inclusive style has minimised misunderstandings and his humour has often stopped the wheels coming off at crucial moments. He has dealt with around seven different leaders and cabinet members at Dudley Council and has shown great leadership and professionalism. Without Graham’s dedication, drive and commitment to finding a new home for the world famous glass collections, they would probably have remained in storage never to have seen the light of day again. He has ensured that the 400-year glass making history of Stourbridge is preserved for many generations to come.

“On behalf of the trustees, ambassadors, volunteers and all associated with Stourbridge Glass Museum, we offer Graham Knowles MBE our heartiest congratulations, together with our assurance that it is a privilege to serve under his continuing stewardship.”

Aside from his work for the British Glass Foundation, Graham is CEO of the Hulbert Group and is well-known for his business connections throughout the Black Country and beyond.

Creating something from nothing

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date December 23, 2024

Glass artist Jessie Lee explains how she chose glass as her preferred medium in her quest to represent ‘nothing’ through her art. She specialises in casting and pate de verre techniques.

How do we represent ‘nothing’? About 15 years ago, I became obsessed with the idea. It started with a book, ‘The Nothing That Is’, by Robert Kaplan. It is about the history of the notion ‘nothing’; the symbol for ‘zero’. It is number – a symbol – we all take for granted, yet it is the most important symbol ever invented. This was the start of my journey with glass.

My creative career began with ceramics. Later, I embraced colour as a print maker. I came up with an idea of making unique, monotype prints, partly using a method known as ‘viscosity printing’. Many successful years later, I had a compelling need to work in three dimensions again. This also coincided with my ‘search for nothing’.

I felt that glass would be a good medium to explore the idea of nothing because of its transparency. The only inconvenience was that I had never used the material before! However, having trained as a ceramic artist, I thought that transferring skills wouldn’t be that difficult.

This core cast glass artwork ‘First Element’ was one of the first casts Jessie made. It measures 25x25x21cm. Photo: Amber McDonald.

Equipped with a few books, I started with lost wax casting. The Bullseye website was very helpful. My idea was to create a form within a form. The internal form was the empty space!

As I had no experience, the mould-making was a real challenge – but I like problem solving. Before I knew it, I was totally seduced by the material. I was hooked and addicted!

I did a couple of short courses at Richmond College and ended up with a Master’s degree, majoring in glass, at UCA Farnham in Surrey.

After college, I was approached to work with Grymsdyke Farm (an innovative workshop for architecture and design students). I have an aptitude for hand modelling, but there I was introduced to computerised, 3D modelling and that opened a door to a different way of thinking and working.

‘Reflection’ features cast glass beneath a porcelain boat. It measures 43x47x10cm. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

I love geometry and am drawn to things that are impermanent and in perpetual flux. With 3D modelling I can transform the photograph of a reflection, the image of a hurricane, or a bubble into something solid and tangible! I can create complex shapes and forms that would have taken a long time to realise. I can take from nature and reinterpret using the software.

In my piece ‘Rotating Pentagons’, I took flowers as my inspiration. I opted for a pentagonal form, as lots of flowers have five petals. Flowers and plants often unfold in a rotation, so I applied a rotation, or twist, common in the software, to achieve my shape.

An unfolding flower was the inspiration for ‘Rotating Pentagons’.

Detail of ‘Rotating Pentagons’ cast glass sculpture. See main feature image for the full design. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

The many aspects of glass suit the way I think and the way I work. It’s a material I enjoy using to express emotion and to tell stories. Glass can be solid and unyielding, fragile and vulnerable.

My methodology is governed by my vision. The technique I use is determined by what is most suitable to the subject. Many hours are spent testing and manipulating the design and the material to achieve my ideas.

My finished work is often a long way from my starting point. For example, ‘Enneper’ started life as a bubble. I watched a child playing with bubbles and the subject sparked my imagination. What are bubbles? They are not just a fun plaything. They have very useful functions. By delving deep into the subject, I ended up exploring the geometry of minimal surfaces and ‘Enneper’ is in that family.

‘Enneper Surface’ is made from cast glass and measures 37x37x37cm. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

My latest project is inspired by a glacier in Antarctica called ‘The Thwaites Glacier’. This glacier is the size of Britain and a keystone on the west side of Antarctica. With the sea warming, it is melting from beneath the ocean. By itself, it can cause sea levels to rise, threatening floods to coastal cities.

I am not an environmentalist, but this subject caught my imagination, and I needed to explore it through my work. I wanted to express fragility and precariousness. The crystal structure of ice is hexagonal. In ‘Tipping Point’, my pate de verre hexagonal cells, precariously suspended in mid-air, appear to be disintegrating. I am working to develop this project further.

‘Tipping Point’ is made from pate de verre and reflects the melting of a glacier from beneath the ocean (47x43x17cm). Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

‘Melt 1’ is made from pate de verre and fused glass (42x42x10cm). Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

Each piece of work I make is a journey in my head. It starts with a fleeting thought; something that caught my eye; a story I read that I have a need to share. I don’t question my own motives. The only thing I know is that I have an emotional need to make art.

As for ‘nothing’, I am still seeking the right narrative!

Jessie Lee.

Find out more about Jessie Lee and her work via her website.

Main feature image: ‘Rotating Pentagons’ is made from cast glass. Each module measures 11x11x14cm. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.

Outgoing CGS Chair Sue receives her gift

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date December 22, 2024

As many of you know, the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS) charismatic Chair, Susan Purser Hope, has stepped down from the role after seven years of sterling service.

Of course, the committee could not let Sue depart without rewarding her with a special gift. Unfortunately, the proper sendoff that was planned at the CGS Discovery Day at the V&A museum in London was not possible, because Sue had an injury and could not attend.

However, CGS Administrator Pam Reekie was able to dial Sue in to hear her words of praise and thanks, on behalf of the committee and wider membership.

Sue’s gifts of flowers and a specially commissioned piece of glass art by Frans Wesselman were sent to her and Sue says: “I just wanted to thank you for my lovely present. I am absolutely delighted with it – a really big THANK YOU!!!!! I have always wanted a piece of work by Frans Wesselman and one of my passions is the circus so what a perfect combination!

“I also wanted to thank the committee and Board for all your help and advice over the years. I have loved my time as both a Trustee and Chair of CGS and am sad to be leaving. However, I know that with Sarah and an enlarged and diverse Board, CGS is in safe, committed and passionate hands, so I am really looking forward to sitting back and seeing how CGS develops into the future! You have all made, and continue to make, such an amazing contribution to CGS and I have really enjoyed working with you – it’s been such fun!”

Sarah Brown now takes over as Chair to steer CGS into 2025 and beyond.

Image: Susan Purser Hope with her stained glass panel, made by Frans Wesselman.

Heritage Crafts awards for contemporary glass workers

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date December 21, 2024

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Heritage Crafts has awarded training bursaries to two contemporary glass workers to enable them to learn heritage craft skills.

Glass flameworker Elena Fleury-Rojo, from Essex, wishes to develop her skills in the specialist field of scientific glassblowing. She will train with Brian Jones at the National Glass Centre in Sunderland. She plans to raise awareness of the craft of scientific glassblowing through her artwork, as well as offer other services, such as making and repairing scientific glass apparatus. Her bursary is funded by the Maxwell Hanrahan Foundation.

Elliot Walker, from the West Midlands, wants to incorporate the making of mouth-blown flat glass in his glassblowing practice. He will train with Fremont Antique Glass and Monarch Glass Studio in the US to master the technique. He plans to offer small batches of artisan glass to stained glass craftspeople and conservators. His bursary is funded by Soane Britain.

The two recipients were among 29 people across the UK given bursaries of up to £4,000 each to develop skills in heritage crafts.

Environmental Sustainability Awards

In addition, glassblower Allister Malcolm has been recognised by Heritage Crafts and the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) in their Environmental Sustainability Awards. He received a £1,000 prize and a specially commissioned trophy at a presentation at Eltham Palace in London.

His award recognised the achievements of a craftsperson or microbusiness that has made measurable progress in transforming the environmental impact of their craft business through a series of incremental changes and improvements.

Allister is an Honorary Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers and has helped to raise substantial funds for Stourbridge Glass Museum. In the past 12 months he has converted his glass studio from fossil fuels to renewable electricity, installed three-phase solar power, as well as working with a UK manufacturer to enhance an electric furnace design. It is the first time such measures have been combined in this way.

Judges for the awards included design consultant and journalist Roddy Clarke, independent editor Kerryn Harper-Cuss, QEST CEO Debbie Pocock LVO, plus Heritage Crafts Trustee Jo Sealy.

Image: Allister Malcolm receiving the 2024 Environmental Sustainability Award. Photo: Robert Wade.

New EU GPSR regulation

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date December 20, 2024

On 13 December 2024, the European Union (EU) introduced a new set of safety regulations, which affect people selling consumer products to the EU and Northern Ireland. These rules do not apply to products being sold in the UK.

Known as the General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), it applies to new, used, repaired or reconditioned products sold to these regions both physically and through digital sales channels from 13 December 2024. Products that were for sale prior to this date do not have to comply with the new rules.

Essentially, the GPSR aims to ensure that products are safe and traceable.

The information on the GPSR is not clear regarding how it applies to craft businesses, but the Crafts Council has produced a document outlining what it believes is known to date for craft sellers.

Two main features of the regulation include improved safety requirements and accessible information, as well as a named, EU-based ‘Responsible Person’ to support product safety compliance. In practice, this means that people selling to the EU and NI need to provide a comprehensive product safety information outline (preferably in a language relevant to the receiving country), plus appoint the Responsible Person. This person could be:

The manufacturer
An importer, if the manufacturer is not established in the EU
An authorised representative mandated by the manufacturer
A fulfilment service provider if the manufacturer, importer and authorised representative are not based in the EU.

GPSR puts greater responsibility on online marketplaces like eBay and Etsy, which may result in sellers having to supply details of safety information and nominated Responsible Person to them.

Greater clarity is required on how this new regulation affects craft businesses. Please read the Crafts Council’s summary here (link to download their pdf). You can also read the UK Government’s full guidance via this link.

Note: It is important to do your own research on GPSR before making any business decisions.

Photo by Alexey Larionov on Unsplash.

CGS administrator job opportunity

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date December 10, 2024

The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is looking for a new Administrator to manage the day-to-day running of the organisation, contribute to its development and to help raise funds to sustain its future.

This role is primarily a remote working from home position, with occasional meetings involving travel, depending on event, exhibition and meeting requirements (expenses will be reimbursed).

Key responsibilities will include responding to emails, managing membership, day-to-day finances and budget, publicity and communications, and to seek sponsorship and lead fundraising activities.

Skills required

Highly self-motivated and able to manage time effectively and multitask
Experience of business planning
Experience of managing people and events
Good communication skills, both verbal and written
Confident to speak in public
Proficient in Word and Excel, access to the internet and experience of e-marketing and social networks
Must be able to work independently as well as part of a team
Great attention to detail
An understanding of financial matters, such as budgets and management accounts
Experience of writing funding applications is desirable
An understanding of Charity governance.

Overview

Role Title: Administrator
Number of days work: Flexible working of 20 hours per week.
Contract: Offered initially as a 12-month contract for a self-employed individual, with the intention to extend this, subject to ongoing funding. There will be a 3-month probationary period.
Salary/package: £38,584 FTE p.a., pro rata. This equates to £22,100 for this role.
Holiday: 25 days p.a., pro rata. This equates to 15 days for a 0.6 role.

Background

CGS is the premier supporter and promoter of contemporary glass art and glass artists in the UK. Membership is open to glass artists at all stages of their careers, collectors and members of the public interested in contemporary glass.

CGS was established in 1997 to represent the interests of national and international glassmakers. Its team is passionate about glass and the artists working with this amazing medium. Today it has almost 1,200 members and continues to grow.

CGS is a charitable organisation funded entirely through members’ subscriptions and by donations. Glass making has been at the core of the creative life of Great Britain for centuries and CGS members continue this great heritage, while producing innovative, exciting, environmentally conscious work that incorporates new technologies while showing respect for long-established techniques.

The current Administrator has been in post for 22 years. With her leaving in 2025, there is an opportunity to review and evaluate the organisation, with a view to develop a new business plan and vision for the next five years.

Central to the CGS’s plan is a model that builds resilience and sustainability, develops partnerships and profiles and helps ensure that the charity continues to thrive in what can be challenging times for small, independent charities.

The Board of Trustees are seeking a dynamic and committed individual to help realise the ambitions for this unique organisation.

Summary

The role of Administrator is key in the organisational and strategic development of the organisation, working with the Board to take CGS into a new phase.

This role will be a great opportunity for a skilled, experienced, and motivated individual who enjoys working in a small, dynamic team and can embrace the ethos, practices, and ambitions of CGS.

The successful candidate will be ambitious for the Society, resourceful, and self-motivated. While the individual who fills this role could come from any sector, they would need to possess a genuine understanding of the arts, and value the role and impact of creativity and making opportunities in our lives.

They will have the flexibility, interest, and ability to juggle business and operational activity, as well as functions, alongside being able to develop and deliver an inspiring creative programme and range of activities with the Project Manager, Chair and Board members.

To apply please email a covering letter of no more than two pages outlining your suitability for the role, plus your CV , to admin@cgs.org.uk , using Job application as the subject title.

Deadline for applications: Monday 6 January 2025

Interviews: mid/end January.

Creature comforts: Interview with Lea Lenhart

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date December 8, 2024

Lea Lenhart has developed her childhood love of glass beads into a glass practice that celebrates nature and beauty through flameworked glass ‘beings’. Linda Banks finds out more.

You are a gifted artist and painter. What made you start working with glass?

I have been collecting glass beads since I was a child and have spent many hours making little things with them, or just dumping the material together and sorting it again. My studies at the Düsseldorf Art Academy in Germany began with classical painting, which I always found a struggle.

‘Chrysina Gloriosa’ is a beetle made from tiny glass beads. Photo: Dejan Saric.

The small box of childhood beads gave me the idea of creating a kind of painting with them, so I started drawing designs and using the beads like pixels. My first woven pictures were portraits of my friends. Later, these were followed by butterflies, beetles, garden pictures and abstract works. The largest work, ‘Hortus Conclusus’, consists of over 400,000 glass beads – I worked on it for a year.

‘Hortus Conclusus’ features natural forms created using thousands of tiny glass beads. Photo: Dejan Saric.

During this time, the desire for three-dimensionality grew, so I began to embroider glass beads (now including larger ones too) onto canvas. This resulted in underwater objects that were often backed with painting on Plexiglas.

‘Orange Sea Fan Flower with Feather Grass I’ (2016) comprises sequins and glass beads embroidered on canvas, plus acrylic painting on Plexiglass. Photo: Lea Lenhart.

When this material was also exhausted and I could not achieve the liveliness with it that I desired, I took an intensive course with Maggie Napier in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. She introduced me to the mystery of glass melting and showed me basic techniques. She is a wonderful glass artist and teacher!

It was a golden time of my life. I knew that glass melting was my medium for artistic expression! I was so excited that I hardly slept for four nights. I was, and am, driven by a longing to mould the glass into the shape I want. Since then, not a day goes by without me having glass in my hands. This may be at the burner or when sorting, and, later, when embroidering.

It is so wonderful to see what flows from my hands. When experimenting with different types of glass, I learn about their possibilities and qualities. Each type of glass has its own secret; each has a different liquidity. Therefore, I use soft glass for leaves, drops and balls, but hard glass for the more dimensionally stable tentacles. I also love the colour change found in some canes. This is particularly pronounced when working with silver glass. I find it incredible what little cosmoses are created.

‘Blue-White giant-Anemone’ measures 55x55x12cm and incorporates glass and bone beads with flameworked glass pieces. It was the first object Lea created with her own handmade beads. Photo: Dejan Saric.

Which glass techniques have you used and which do you prefer?

As mentioned, it all started with web images, where I threaded thousands of rocailles beads based on a plan I drew. Later came the embroidered underwater objects, for which I used mostly industrially produced glass beads.

Now, I have been melting glass on a torch for six years. This is definitely my home!

Occasionally, I use a small glass grinding machine or etching agents to give my glass a matt finish.

Please tell us more about your creative approach. Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?

I am always looking for beauty. During my studies I met the incredible artist Rosemarie Trockel, who was a professor at the Academy of Fine Art in Düsseldorf. She said that I should not listen to anyone who called my art ‘decorative’. Instead, she told me that I should look for beauty and take it to the most extreme limits. This is my credo!

For me, colours are a very important aspect of beauty. There are colour combinations that I like to immerse myself in. Small nuances make a color shine. A lot lies in contrasts, such as light-dark values, which have to be right. At the start of my studies colour theory was my favourite subject. Now I know why!

I only make sketches on vacation, when I do not have any glass to hand. In everyday life I don’t have time for drawings. The objects are created, sometimes with a vision that I follow, sometimes by chance when putting together the most diverse materials. Often, when embroidering the different elements, I notice that a shape or a colour accent is missing. This is then created in the next step on the torch.

This sketch was created in Canada in 2021 and the object, ‘Sea Creature 330’ (shown below), (circa 10cm wide), was created as soon as Lea came home. The murrini were made by Dani Müller. Photos: Lea Lenhart.

‘Sea Creature 330’. Photo: Lea Lenhart.

You often depict nature in your work. What message(s) do you want to convey with your art?

I have always been very moved by nature and feel incredible happiness when looking at flowers or walking through forests or gardens. These are incredibly delicate creatures that surround us humans and nourish us. The destruction and loss of these ‘beings’ hurts me deeply. Therefore, I try to create my own beings that bring inspiration, beauty and joy to the world.

What is your favorite tool or device and why?

I love the torch. Working on it is a great meditation. The process of melting glass has an incredibly calming effect on me. It’s a bit like watching the most diverse shapes flow from my hands.

Lea at the torch. Photo: Andrej Henze-Lenhart

Do you have a favourite piece or collection that you have created? Why is it your favourite?

I have been working on my ‘Sea Creatures’ series for three years now. This collection is actually a large experimental laboratory. I’m always testing out new glasses, trying to explore their possibilities, combining the resulting shapes with the thousands of glass beads that I’ve collected over the years. In terms of numbers produced, an object is created every day. I see this work as a kind of training…

A wall of Sea Creatures, each about 10cm diameter. Photo: Lea Lenhart.

Where do you show and sell your work?

The recently renovated Hentrich Glass Museum in Düsseldorf has purchased a large installation of my sea creatures for its permanent exhibition. In addition, the “On the Way” exhibition opened in November 2024 at the Fils Fine Arts Gallery in Düsseldorf, featuring a large installation of the sea creatures and some larger objects. Next February 2025, my work will be shown at the Art Fair in Karlsruhe and with Fils Fine Arts Gallery.

Where is your creative practice heading next?

At the moment I’m still at home experimenting with the sea creatures theme. However, increasingly, I find I am limited by size, so I’m currently creating some larger, more complex objects in which I replace missing colours with yarn, which I use to embroider the ‘bases’.

And finally…

I came across Dani Müller on Instagram. She lives in my home town, St. Gallen, in Switzerland. I discovered that we even went to the same school for a year. Like me, she has developed wonderful murrini beads through experimentation and trial and error. She makes ‘in’ the glass what I make out of the glass. Her murrinis can be found in many of my objects. Her world of shapes and colours is another great inspiration for me!

‘Sea Creature 967’ is made with murrini created by Dani Müller. Photo: Lea Lenhart.

Find out more about Lea Lenhart and her work via her website.

Main image: Detail of ‘Orange Sea Fan Flower with Feather Grass I’, (2016). Made from sequins and glass beads embroidered on canvas, with acrylic painting on Plexiglass, this piece measures 30cm diameter. Photo: Lea Lenhart.

Register for 2025 International Flameworking Conference

Post author By Linda Banks, Editor
Post date November 25, 2024

The 23^rd International Flameworking Conference takes place at Salem Community College, in New Jersey, USA, from 21-23 March 2025.

The weekend includes presentations, demonstrations, exhibits, vendor displays and the chance to mee a community of flameworking practitioners and enthusiasts.

The event features Japanese artist Kentaro Yanagi, who makes kinetic flameworked sculptures (see image) and will demonstrate on the Saturday morning.

Other flameworkers who will be demonstrating include Lacey Walton, Kamila Mroz, Lucie Kovarova-Weir, Serbay Doru, Eunsuh Choi, Andrew Certo, Lucio Bubacco and Michal Adamski.

Floor Kaspers and Bandhu Dunham will have speaker presentations on the Friday evening and Meghan Bunnell will present a lunch and learn session on the Sunday.

There is a dinner party on the Saturday evening (advanced registration required).

Early, discounted registration is open now until 16 February 2025.

Find out more about the schedule and the artists, plus sign up, via this link.