Vessel Gallery Natural Specimens

'Woven Mandala (Lg II)' is a unique handblown, sculpted and cut glass sculpture by the British artist, Layne Rowe. Rowe’s inspiration is drawn from the dramatic Devon coastline whic...

'Woven Mandala (Sm II)' is a unique handblown, sculpted and cut glass sculpture by the British artist, Layne Rowe. Rowe’s inspiration is drawn from the dramatic Devon coastline whic...

'Blue Uprising' is a unique glass artwork by the Canadian artist, Michèle Oberdieck. Michèle Oberdieck explores balance and asymmetry through colour, form and surface decoration. Pr...

'Celestial Hybrid' is a unique glass artwork by the Canadian artist, Michèle Oberdieck. Michèle Oberdieck explores balance and asymmetry through colour, form and surface decoration....

'Vug in Fuchsia & Gold II' is a unique handblown sculpture by the British artist, Samantha Donaldson. Created by layers of coloured glass in fuchsia pink and amber/gold, the trans...

'Spring Yellows I' is a unique glass sculpture by the British artist, Nina Casson McGarva. Casson McGarva firstly casts her glass in a flat mould where she introduces all of the b...

‘Oro I’ is a unique sculpture by the Danish artist, Morten Klitgaard. In the artist's own words: "My work is driven by the urge to investigate and push the limits of glass as a mat...

'Kelp' is a unique glass sculpture by the British artist, Nina Casson McGarva Casson McGarva firstly casts her glass in a flat mould where she introduces all of the beautifully de...

‘Earthly Treasures No 25’ is a unique sculptural bowl by the British artist, Morrison Thomas. It is made from burred Acacia inlaid with Native Copper, Ma...

‘Earthly Treasures No 26’ is a unique sculptural bowl by the British artist, Morrison Thomas. It is made from sycamore inlaid with Chrysocolla & Malachite. Morrison turns beautifu...

‘Earthly Treasures No 27’ is a unique sculptural bowl by the British artist, Morrison Thomas. It is made from burred English Elm inlaid with Cornish Turquoise. Morrison turns beautiful wooden spheres from damaged or diseased trees that have been felled as they can no longer survive. Using aged wood such as this, reveals cracks and crevices which the artist can inlay with precious minerals. The results are breathtaking. These take on the role of globes and are evocative of old maps. The minerals suggest undiscovered islands and continents. During Thomas’ time as a designer and maker of furniture it was usual practice to mask and hide any blemishes or cracks in the wood, however much like the Japanese art of Kintsugi (where ceramic breakages are repaired with gold and precious metals) Thomas highlights the anomalies in the wood by inlaying them with naturally formed colorful minerals, many taken from his personal collection which he still adds to. Recent visits to the ‘World Famous’ Blue John Mine and also a working Fluorspar mine in Derbyshire has meant new materials for future inlays. With the wood hard to find and unpredictable to turn, the resulting union of the Earth’s natural resources are patiently and skilfully jigsawed together, resulting in truly unique treasure-laden artworks. Is his own words: ‘The two mediums I combine both come directly from the Earth. The trees form and grow at the surface whilst the minerals can form at great depth. It is not unknown for some trees to have accumulated pieces of crystals in their roots. The thought of this combination of a substance formed during explosive episodes in the Earth millions of years ago with a gently formed living substance, which may have been growing for hundreds of years before finally coming to an end, is both exhilarating and intriguing. I think of it as a fusion between animate and inanimate, above and below the ground, naturally both beautiful, and without which, we as humans could not survive’ Morrison Thomas was born at New Inn Cottage in the tiny village of Charlton near Banbury, Oxfordshire. His father was a cabinet maker & carpenter who was also a wheelwright and blacksmith, as with many village craftsman of the time, he was skilled in all things. Keeping the family tradition, Thomas continued in his father’s footsteps and is a fourth generation woodworker. As a furniture designer & maker Thomas has exhibited his work in numerous high profile galleries and undertaken many prestigious commissions. He has written articles on woodworking with his work appearing in numerous publications. Previously the chairman of the Surrey Guild of Craftsmen and with a listing in Debrett’s Who’s Who, his achievements are many, especially in consideration that he received no formal training, with his skills obtained from observing and listening to his father. For many years Thomas designed and made contemporary furniture but mainly due to health reasons stopped making larger-scale works. With woodworking in his blood and a material he simply couldn’t stop creating with, he resumed his creative skills some years later by making unique hand-turned wooden vessels...

'Forest Relic Collection' is a unique trio of sculptural vessels by the British artist, Claire Malet. The size for each one is; Forest Relic I 20cm H, 14cm ø £1375 ?Forest Re...

'Enchanted Dawn in Oranges I' is a unique handblown and sculpted glass artwork by the British artist, Louis Thompson. With both his Enchanted Dawn and Dusk collections, Thompson b...

Ice Vug in Fuchsia is a unique handblown sculpture by the British artist Samantha Donaldson. A charming ethereal sculpture with a glacier white exte...

'Woven Pastel Mandala No 6 (shiny)' is a unique handblown, sculpted and cut glass sculpture by the British artist, Layne Rowe. Rowe’s inspiration is drawn from the dramatic Devon coastline which informs his love for detail, a constant theme for his ever-evolving creations. The Woven series in particular is the result of intricate layers of varied coloured canes which are manipulated to follow and twist around the form of the piece, creating movement. These are then cold cut to reveal the vibrant colours hidden beneath the surface. In his own words: “The effect is like water over precious stones or the rock with its glimmering colours beneath reflecting natural growth and corrosion. I enjoy observing people’s reactions to my work, everything is up for interpretation, as my work is diverse, complex and sometimes subversive. It invites you to look again and again. My introduction to hot glass gave me an insatiable desire to explore this medium to its limits. I find glass an inspiration in itself but have found inspiration from the natural world and its issues” Rowe’s journey with glass began during his degree course in 3D design at the University of Central Lancashire. During the following seven years he worked alongside a number of glassmakers at the London Glass Blowing hot shop, enhancing and Fine-tuning his skills before moving to Brazil. During this time Rowe set up his own glass studio but also experienced a different working environment alongside Industrial glassmakers. On returning to the UK with an initial set-up in Hertfordshire, he rejoined London Glassblowing, where he has worked on and off from 2005 to the present day. Currently, Rowe now makes his work at a number of studios all-over the UK and also produces Peter Layton...

'Enchanted Dawn in Blues II' is a unique glass tree sculpture by the British artist, Louis Thompson. With both his Enchanted Dawn and Dusk collections, Thompson brings a joyous an...

Acanthus I is a unique handmade porcelain vase with leaf decoration by the British artist Amy Hughes. Originally from West Yorkshire, Amy Hughes lives an...

'Turf - Harvest' is from the British artist and Blown Away II series winner, Elliot Walker's ongoing body of unique still life artworks. Freehand sculpted in clear glass with iridesc...

Ammonite vessel is a unique steel & moon gold sculptural vessel by the British artist Claire Malet. Created from an oxidised re-formed steel can and hand-gilded on the interior with ...

Ice Vug in Turquoise I is a unique handblown sculpture by the British artist Samantha Donaldson. A charming ethereal sculpture with a glacier white ...

Ice Vug in Purple is a unique handblown sculpture by the British artist Samantha Donaldson. A charming ethereal sculpture with a glacier white exter...

'Torc' is a limited-edition (3 + 2AP) patinated bronze sculpture by the British artist Vivienne Foley. Two have been sold and so there is only one piece left from the edition. Vivie...