My Story
Sarah Hill Glass evolved out of a fascination for glass, for colour, a love of design and the desire to create beautiful, contemporary pieces of work. After achieving my degree in 3D design followed by 18 years working as a graphic designer, it was time to get back to hands on making. Borrowing a kiln, I began in 2005 from my garage crafting my own handmade glass jewellery.
As my work became more popular I moved to my workshop on New Street in Wem which gave more space to develop my glass practise and, consequently, increase the amounts of equipment required!
My range of products increased to include jewellery, cheese plates made from old bottles and wall art. I attended many trade shows throughout the years in Glasgow, Harrogate, Birmingham and London to supply shops and galleries in this country and abroad. I also sold directly to the public at craft markets around the country and especially my home town of Shrewsbury.
As the glass seascapes and landscapes developed, sales increased and they began to catch people’s eyes. So, in 2024 I made the decision to halt the jewellery making (much to my customer’s disbelief!) and concentrate on developing the artworks.
To be truthful, it has always been my goal to make seascapes and landscapes out of glass. To be able encapsulate the wild beauty of nature with the beauty of glass has been the long held challenge.
My technique is to meld the different forms of glass - sheets of glass, glass powders, glass frit (angular, broken pieces of glass) - and heat them in the kiln so they form into one, yet still keep a feeling of three dimensions. Once the heat has dispersed, I work them with a grinder and then sand carve to leave a matt finish, as that of a tumbled piece of glass washed up onto the beach. Each artwork is unique as I cannot replicate, such is the unpredictable nature of this glass.
“I was born in Somerset, now living in Shropshire… a country girl… so my work is heavily inspired by the colours and scenes of the surrounding countryside including tones of green and vibrant hues of flowers in a meadow. The Pembrokeshire coast is another place I hold dear and so there is a strong influence of blues from its shores and skies. It is here that I draw upon for my glass wall art landscapes”.
I now show my work in galleries, on this website and various exhibitions throughout the year. Please contact me if you would like further information or visit my workshop in Wem.