Renoir Glass Paperweight by Jonathan Harris

Stunning hand-blown glass by Jonathan Harris.

See more work by Jonathan Harris available from Obsidian Art

About Jonathan Harris

Passionate about glass blowing craftsmanship, Jonathan specialises in the ancient art of engraved glass cameo & cased graal. The surface of the glass is skilfully carved & engraved by hand through layers of enamel colours, 24ct gold & sterling silver leaf, revealing the intricate design in outstanding detail. 

Fascinated by fusing time honoured glass blowing skills & technology, together with his small team of highly skilled glass blowers, Jonathan endeavours to continue evolving his glass engraving skills to break new ground. His commitment to glass engraving excellence, outstanding finesse & dexterity is evident with each new creation and possess a timeless quality that his glass collectors aspire to. 

Jonathan & his studio glassmaking team create commissioned coloured artglass designs including engraved cameo glass, glass vases, glass paperweights and glass perfume bottles for private glass collectors, retailers, museums & galleries worldwide.

 As an innovative and creative second-generation designer/glassmaker my desire to work with glass and constantly experiment with new techniques is our driving force. For more than 20 years, I have researched, developed and refined a wide variety of techniques to combine my fascination with studio glassmaking, technology and graphic arts. I fuse graphic imagery – sometimes elaborate and figurative, with the molten fluidity of hot glass, to create both contemporary and classical works.

Cameo and gräal, along with multi-layered ‘hot’ surface decoration form the core of my technical repertoire, enabling tremendous scope for colour, shape and pattern.

My first pieces of Gräal were produced in 1988, using relatively simple patterns, which I drew by hand onto the surface of the glass and then carved through the layers of colour. I continued to develop this process, which lead to the refined and detailed designs that we continue to produce today. I introduced the use of 24ct gold and sterling silver leaf into my designs, the first collection of which was launched in 1992 in Harrods and Liberty of London with tremendous success.

In 1999, together with my wife Alison and our small team of highly skilled Artisans, we set up our leading edge studio, located at the Coalport China Museum in the Ironbridge Gorge, World Heritage Site, which provides the perfect haven for us to continue our progression of combining innovation and technology with ancient craftsmanship, which provokes an exciting combination.

Gallé, Carder and Tiffany were others who used science and technology in the development of their work. Without technology and creative drive there is no innovation, coupled with a passion for sublime craftsmanship and total commitment in providing unique, high quality, competitively priced art glass with impeccable service.