Modern Blown Glass ‘En Route’ By Ruth Shelley

This gorgeous modern blown glass was inspired by the colours of Normandy and Provence when Ruth Shelley toured France on her motorbike. She was struck by the colour of bright sunlight on hay bales, fields of cornflowers and lavender whilst red poppies lined the roads. The mesmerising shades of greens in lush gorges, greys in the rock formation, terracotta roofs, shades of sky, sunsets and sunrises. The list goes on…

This vessel is a kiln-formed glass made by the ‘drop out’ method. From her studio in Cardiff, Ruth cuts strips of glass and arranges them in complex layers and patterns which are fused together into a fused sheet. Due to the nature of the applications, Ruth’s vessels are one-offs. It is not possible to make two pieces identical.

N.B. The images shown are an example of the ones in the series. Each piece is handmade and therefore there will be small variations in colour and pattern. Each one is completely unique and signed by the artist.

Modern Blown Glass Artist

Ruth Shelley is an award-winning glass artist who has been working with coloured glass for over 25 years. Her main interest is colour with shape, form and pattern following in close succession. Ruth’s signature style boasts vivid, dramatic colour in kiln-formed glass which includes vessels, bowls and panels. She is especially interested in the reflection and refraction of light as it hits a glass object.

Much of her work is inspired by her beloved landscapes of mid-Wales where she grew up. Her dropped vessels create an interplay of light, form and colour that is evocative of the natural world which surrounds us.

Although coming from a background in Textiles, Ruth has attended many masterclasses including North Lands Creative Glass, UK and Bullseye Resource Centre, the USA which enabled her to develop and experiment with shape, form and colour.  She has also worked alongside architects on numerous restoration projects.

Ruth won the ‘Glass Sellers’ Award at the British Glass Biennale 2015 and her artwork has appeared in ‘Crafts’ and Crafts International. She has received many awards from the Welsh Arts Council. In addition, she is a member of the Contemporary Glass Society and the Makers Guild of Wales. Ruth is continually experimenting and pushing the limits of glass. Ruth has sold her work nationally and internationally.