Stewart Hearn has established a professional practice of thirty years. Commitment to the craft has made him a highly respected and award-winning artist, craftsman and designer, specialising in bespoke handblown glass. His work demands high standards of design and exacting technical knowledge.
Using traditional skills he interprets his contemporary visions and exhibits in many contexts and countries. Hearn's level of excellence was acknowledged when he was Winner of The Gold Medal, at the third (Hejian) Craft Glass Creation & Design International Competition, in China. He also acts as a consultant for production and bespoke commissioning, contract work and restoration, making glass for others - some of whom have been clients for over 18 years.
*
Thames River Vases
Hand blown glass with powdered colour and gold or silver leaf.
These vases have been created as a series of blown glass oversized vessels, which reference the ubiquitous discarded plastic bottles we all live with.
Each one is a translation from memory of these containers and is not meant to be an exacting replica. The 'larger than life' scale creates a powerful and intimidating reminder of the creeping plastic pollution in our waterways. Translucent colours used emphasize the ambiguous language of plastic and glass, with additional subtle silver or gold leaf scattered throughout the forms elevating the status of this detritus and suggesting an opportunity to value and care for it instead of discarding it.
We also don't know whether in the future these might pay homage to a man-made relic of the past, which although idolised and positively lifechanging in its heyday proved to be so detrimental to the environment leaving behind itself a tsunami of un-destroyable matter…
Darwin Decanters
Darwin Decanters were first designed for an exhibition which set out to focus on the interaction between glass and science.
Keen to make something functional, the pieces are loosely based on the shapes of laboratory ware. Also working with feathers at the time, the stopper designs grew out of that inspiration…
The design and use of the colour in the pieces was about the growth of bacteria in petri dishes, nothing specific or real, all fantasised.
Adding opaque colour into the pieces, makes them incredibly difficult to blow into perfect forms but that seems ok, as the final shapes tie with the 'olde worldly' age of Darwin's era.
Owl Jugs
Something of a departure for his usual work. These Owls are the product of some spare time whilst waiting for a client to arrive! Happily, Stewart became quite fond of them and developed the design to the lively and characterful item we see today.
These little Owls, as well as being rather entertaining, are also functional jugs. They have even been awarded the accolade of being Stewart's best pouring jug. Fantastic as a gift and a charming introduction to glass for a child, these jugs are a fun and light-hearted addition to your glassware collection.
Oval Carousel
Once described as a "Rainbow in a Bottle", these beautiful vases blend three colours, one into the next, creating a fluid, ethereal effect. A lively, ornate piece, the Carousel has a weightlessness with such movement that it almost defies gravity.
Using a technique that creates a spiral within the body of the glass, then manipulating the piece into an oval shape, the pattern is brought to the fore. Stewart has allowed himself the creative freedom to develop a purely decorative piece which unassumingly carries and captures the light around it.
The graceful lines of the Carousel will compliment any interior space, making a colourful addition to your home or workplace
Stone Bowls
One place sea glass can still be collected is along the Northeast coast of England. Glass found on these beaches is a result of old glass factories dumping their used pots at sea which have broken down over hundreds of years. The glass in the bottom of these discarded crucibles is washed ashore as little glass treasures.
Having been born in South Shields and studied in Sunderland, I've often walked along the beaches collecting glass stones. The 'Stone Bowl' series is my man-made imitation...
The containing vessel is made from clear blown glass and the 'stones' from either clear or coloured furnace glass that has been textured in the cold workshop. The piece is assembled and sealed with a polished handmade glass base.