Ruth Lyne

I have always been intrigued by the colours and textures of the coast, by wide horizons, big skies and shingle beaches. I have been working with glass since 1998, fusing it with metals and oxides to create objects that, I hope, evoke long forgotten feelings of walking along the seashore with a pocketful of shells.

I don't try to replicate the natural world but work with simple shapes and forms, using horizontal and vertical elements to instil a sense of calm and balance within each piece.

I have recently downsized my workshop after moving to Suffolk and now make small artworks for the home. I have also returned to my first love with a collection of Seascape jewellery in coastal colours inspired by sea glass and pebbles.

Starting with sheets of colourful glass, I cut little squares and stack them in an electric kiln. Firing to a temperature of over 800°C fuses the layers together making a little round blob that I then drill to make a bead. The individual beads are fired again to soften the edges and slowly cooled to strengthen the glass. Combining transparent and opal glass with dichroic and iridescent layers creates jewels that catch the light and shimmer with every movement, perfect for jewellery.