Lesley Clarke : Glass

Lesley is married to Norman Stuart Clarke , one of Britain's leading artist glassblowers and works alongside him at their studio at St. Erth, Cornwall.

Although the obvious influence of Normans workshop is apparent she is completely self taught with no college training. She was born in the St. Ives area and her first design that we offer for sale "Cornish Seas" reflects both the colour and power of the sea in that area. Our initial work from Lesley sold out within a few weeks. She uses two coloured glasses in powdered form . Blue and white glass is rolled into the hot crystal and the oxides in the coloured glass react to give yellows. The colours mix and swirl and give impressions of landscapes and seascapes with the glass itself shaped to reflect movement.

"Over the years many artists and craftspeople have come to live and work in St. Ives for its light and wonderous views. I was born here and knew no other. My work with blown glass makes full use of the light and the flowing nature of hot glass. To grow up in St. Ives in the early seventies is an art lesson that lasts and to visit the Bernard Leach Pottery regularly or be invited to help the pavement artists and wander in and out of craft workshops daily cements a relationship with art & crafts that puts them at the heart of life itself.

Having watched Norman work and ‘having a few goes’ myself I became hooked on this exciting material. It suits my personality - the heat, the spontaneity, the importance of the moment."

We have pieces of both Cornish Seas & Wylde Green for sale

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