Jonathan Harris, glassmaker

ABOVE: Aqua cased gräal Wren amphora vase, £950.

Naomi Jones talks to Jonathan Harris, son of Michael, who founded Mdina Glass and Isle of Wight Glass.

Did your father’s creativity influence you early on?
Yes, as a child, I can remember producing my own decorative designs, which were usually abstract, incorporating inks, pastels, oils, and odd pieces of textiles or textured materials, to create a three-dimensional collage. And at the age of six, I began crafting birds and novelties with my brother for the tourists on the Isle of Wight.

Why do you think glass is so special?
Craftsmen have been producing glass forms for more than 6,000 years; indeed, today’s materials and techniques vary little from those of 13th-century Rome. It is also one of the most collected and diverse media used in the history of art.

What drives you to create?
I’m motivated by the thought of uniting craftsmanship and technology, and fascinated with fusing detailed graphic imagery with the molten fluidity of hot glass. Its translucency, reflective qualities and its potential as a vehicle for colour have constantly enthused me.

Where do new ideas come from?
Inspiration is all around us – we just have to learn to see it through creative eyes. For me, nature is the greatest muse of all and I express this through my designs. My collectors and family are also an influence – without others to share your passion it would be less meaningful.

ABOVE (left-right): Dandelion vase, £550; designed for The National Gallery, perfume bottle, £100; Emerald and citron green Fern & Foliage, £395.

Can you describe the process?
Over the last two decades, together with my small team, I have developed and refined complex techniques; the pieces are made in several stages, which require both a ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ workshop. In the hot shop red-hot molten glass is collected from the furnace; the layers of enamel colours, trails, ‘mille-fleurs’ (background of a ‘thousand flowers’) and sterling silver or 24ct gold leaf are then applied to the surface.

Once I have done the initial work, I spend many hours in the cold workshop carving the cameo designs. Using a combination of diamond point and sand carving techniques, I penetrate the layers of colour and silver leaf to reveal the patterns in relief. In comparison to the lively banter and excitement of the hot shop, the cold shop demands complete silence, but the results are worth an often solitary environment.

Who are your heroes in the art world?
The great impressionists, such as Renoir and Monet, who expressed their creativity through colour; I have been lucky enough to use their work to inspire my own through various commissions from The National Gallery. I also admire the cameo carving of George Woodall, John Northwood and Émile Gallé.

Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?
Believe in your dreams, focus on your strengths and do what you enjoy.

ABOVE: Jonathan cameo carving the intricate detail through multiple layers of enamel colour and sterling silver leaf

Jonathan’s studio is based at the Coalport China Museum in Ironbridge Gorge (01952 246381; jhstudioglass.com).

FEATURE NAOMI JONES
Featured in the December 2010 issue of Period Living