Contemporary Vessels ‘Ikat’ by Ruth Shelley

Beautiful contemporary vessels ‘Ikat’ were inspired by Ruth’s love of Ikat woven fabric and their natural use of dyes. She used the colours of beetroot, paprika, and turmeric as the basis for this glass exploration, resulting in these pieces having a gorgeous ‘glow’.

These contemporary vessels are kiln-formed glass made by the ‘drop out’ method. Ruth cuts strips of glass and arranges them in complex layers and patterns which are fused into a sheet. The glass is then stretched,  shaped polished and sandblasted into the finished vessel.

NB. Due to the nature of the applications, these vessels are one-offs. The images shown are examples and the one made for just for you will be similar, but not exactly the same. Signed by the artist.

Contemporary Vessels 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.

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.