Magic is happening on Bermondsey Street this Christmas;

London Glassblowing is not only home to exquisite pieces of glass work but also the place to watch the magic of glass blowing itself. It is the perfect destination for Christmas shoppers looking for a unique gift with a range of glass pieces created by some of the nation’s leading names in glass including Peter Layton who founded London Glassblowing in 1976.

New pieces for Christmas range from the charming whimsical creations of Morag Reekie and Philip Vallentin to extraordinary pieces of craftsmanship from Vezzini & Chen, Cathryn Shilling or Peter Layton himself.

Harris by artist Sue Tinkler is a collection of beautiful vessels which take inspiration from Harris Tweed the world-famous beautiful fabric. Harris reflects the colours and textures of the Hebridean landscape, turquoise sea, rugged barnacle encrusted rocks and peat bogs.

Vezzini & Chen create pieces which are defined by the artful marriage of hand carved ceramics and blown glass. The collections tread a thin line between conceptual and functional, frost is a collection of beautiful sculptural bowls that take inspiration from crisp winter mornings.

Morag Reekies work reflects her family life; mischievous, colourful glass sculptures have evolved from drawings inspired by playing with her children. Her signature cheeky mice sculptures are bright, childlike and playful bringing joy and smile to the viewer.

Cathryn Shilling is best known for her trademark glass cloth pieces which utilise the Venetian glass cane techniques. The canes are made by drawing molten glass into fine threads of no more than one or two millimetres. Cathryn uses a painstaking process to bring these together, strand upon strand, and then fuses them in the kiln until they resemble sheets of woven fabric.  Her set of mini dioramas is a stunning addition to any collection.

Laura McKinley fascination for glass as a creative medium stem from its capacity to constantly alter her initial thoughts and expectations. The spontaneity of the hot material demands instant visual judgments that give rise to shifts in her ideas. These allow her to make tangible her explorations of volume, scale and the random interplay of forms. Imagine VIII is a continuation of her Imagine series which explores form, texture and the illusion of space.

This Autumn sees the launch of Peter Laytons new book – A Celebration of Colour: Peter Layton and London Glassblowing. The stunning book lavishly illustrates Layton’s best known pieces as well as throwing a spotlight on the studios resident artists. It also includes essays from renowned critic and curator Glenn Adamson whilst former Crafts deputy editor Imogen Greenhalgh explains the history of the studio glass movement, profiles Peter Layton and investigates his extraordinary legacy.

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