While trying to avoid Cricket at School (Ampleforth College, N.Yorkshire), I found salvation in the Pottery Workshop. This was a dark, damp & seriously under used /financed facility, hidden away near the Music Department.
Realising I wasn't going to be the next Einstein, I put all my energy into turning out pots & sculptures, hoping to be the next Bernard Leach. My Pottery Teacher, the long suffering Fr.Bonadventure, informed me I was a 'Jack of all trades & Master of none'; At the time I thought this was a compliment on my diverse skills. It became quite clear as time went on, that I wasn't exactly excelling at either Sculpture or Throwing, and it was at this point, it was suggested I should go on some short courses, to give me a small insight into other Crafts.
Although an unwilling participant, I ventured out into the world of Crafts. After a few rather forgetful courses, I went on a weekend Glassblowing course, with Norman Stuart-Clarke, in Cornwall. Pottery was all but forgotten, as I became mesmerised by this new exciting medium.
Although, a three year Apprenticeship was offered, it was not going to be financially viable, so, it didn't come into fruition. I was determined to be a Glassmaker, so took up a voluntary position, at The Glasshouse, in Covent Garden.
Higher Education followed & various jobs here & in New Zealand. I now live & work on the edge of The Peak District, in Derbyshire.
I draw upon many influences, in the creation of my glassware, from the broad spectrum of the Arts, my own photography, to everyday objects & experiences.
When I set out to design a new range, I usually have a set of colour combinations in mind. I often try to visualise what they will look like in my head, and jot down notes, about possible colours & techniques. Unfortunately, ideas that worked in your brain, or on paper, often look considerably different in the glass medium; So, I will try some of these ideas out, and keep altering it, until, I get the desired effect. Sometimes, it is the happy accidents that spark off the best idea; Gravity showed me the way to go with "Mono", when I got a piece too hot. The "Stripe" Flattened Paperweights came about, because, a piece I was trying to blow, wouldn't blow up, so, I flattened it to see what it would look like.
When I first started working on "Moors", it was the colour combinations of Ruby & Topaz that interested me. It wasn't until I had made a few pieces that I realised it looked a bit like an abstract sandy dune-scape & promptly named it "Dune". What "Dune" looked like then, with a clear background & two tone sandy coloured band & what "Moors" looks like now, are quite different. It took years of tweaking, putting in the opalescent white background, adding two further colour bands of purple/blue & greens & introducing black, in various applications, before we reach the "Moors" of today.
All pieces are ground by hand, and each stopper is made for a particular bottle.
In some cases, pieces are sandblasted, as with "Silk Float" & "Mottled Emerald". If the sandblasted pieces should lose their sheen, I suggest buffing them with a cotton cloth (not a duster) and a very little baby oil (use sparingly).
I hope the piece of my Glassware you bought, brings you lots of enjoyment.
Thank you for supporting British Crafts People