NEW for 2026
"If you feel safe in the area you're working in, you're not in the right area. Always go a little further into the water than you feel capable of being in. Go a bit out of your depth and when you don't feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you're just about in the right place to do something exciting.
David Bowie
Fresh Air 2026
'The Pellucids'
2026 is breathing "Fresh Air" into the studio—literally. I’ve been elbow-deep in a new body of work for the Fresh Air 2026 exhibition.
I am absolutely delighted to finally introduce one of my latest collections of work, The Pellucids—a series of glass sculptures designed primarily to live outdoors, though they are quite happy to migrate inside if the mood strikes.
The idea came from noticing how nature repeats its designs. I’ve always been struck by the similarities between gardens, coral reefs, and the sponge and coral gardens of the deep ocean. (many thanks to @schmidtocean)
Despite being worlds apart, they all share a wonderful rhythm of architectural form, vibrant, cores of colour and optical interactions. My aim was to connect these worlds, creating pieces that feel less like man-made objects and more like a natural extension of the landscape/oceanscape itself.
In the Garden (And in the House)
As you can see from the image gallery, when these pieces are nestled among the riverbank's wild green foliage, they interact constantly with their environment. The optical effects channel the light, sparkle in midday sun, and softly glow with reflected light in the twilight.
However, brought indoors against a simpler backdrop, like a plain wall, they take on a different, sculptural persona, highlighting the fluid, suspended layers of colour within the glass and interacting with each other, bending the light and creating patterns within themselves.
They are thoughtful, and—if I say so myself—rather lovely to look at. They don’t shout for attention, but they certainly know how to hold a space.
I’d love to know what you think, and I can't wait to see where they end up settling down.
You can see them in person, and take one or 3 home if you like, as all work is available to purchase at the Fresh Air Sculpture Exhibition*, Quenington Old Rectory Gardens, Cirencester GL7, UK
14 Jun 2026, 10:00 – 15 Jul 2026, 19:00
*The Fresh Air exhibition (or Fresh Air Sculpture Show) supports and is entirely run by the Quenington Sculpture Trust (Registered Charity No. 1071956). All proceeds from the exhibition go directly to the charity to fund education and wellbeing programs
Studio Ellie Maya
'Through the Crescent'
And there are more things blooming in the studio... Introducing: 🌸Second Bloom🌸
I am very pleased to share a glimpse of a new series of floral-inspired sculptures, created for the upcoming summer exhibition at the Royal Crescent Hotel, Bath, in collaboration with Studio Ellie Maya.
These glass and copper forms are designed to celebrate the quiet elegance of the British summer. We have called them the Second Bloom series—a title that reflects not just their shape, but the very nature of how they came to be. Each piece is crafted using remelted waste glass and recycled materials, giving elements that had served their purpose a gentle, second life.
There is a lovely, relaxing sort of alchemy in taking something discarded and letting it bloom all over again in the summer light.
In the Borders
As you can see when they are nestled among the flower borders, they are designed to blend into the garden landscape. The soft pastels catch the dappled sunlight, while the copper stems have been given a weathered, verdigris finish to make them feel as though they have always belonged there.
Up close, you can see the fluid, translucent quality of the glass, with subtle ribs and curves that mimic the gentle opening of a bud.
They are thoughtful, quiet and—I hope—bring a sense of calm to the spaces they inhabit. They don’t clamour for your attention, but rather invite you to pause for a moment.
I do hope you enjoy them over a cream tea or lunch in Bath this summer.
If you like them, all work is available to purchase from Studio Ellie Maya at the at the Royal Crescent Hotel and Studio, Royal Cres, Bath BA1 2LS, UK
The exhibition runs from 05 Jun 2026, 10:00 – 27 Sept 2026, 17:00
Ruthin Craft Centre
'From Other Lands' - Work in Progress
I am incredibly pleased to tell you about a new exhibition titled 'From Other Lands' opening at Ruthin Craft Centre. I am over the moon that they have asked me to participate and have been working on a new collection based on a subject very close to my heart: what it feels like when you aren't originally from the place you live, and the deep, unexpected connections you find.
Having moved to Wales only a few years ago, I have been deeply touched by the proud sense of belonging people have here, the rich love for the arts, and, above all, the unique sound of the place—the beautiful rhythm of the Welsh language, with songs in voice and stone and sea which carry a history much deeper than words.
I want to encapsulate my experiences here, along the Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion coastlines. A quiet celebration of sound, landscape, and the invisible threads that connect us to the places we find ourselves. Voices in Glass.
I recently discovered that the resident pod of dolphins near me in Cardigan Bay actually have their own distinct regional accents. Their own Welsh voice.
I have used this to bring the collection to life—each piece features an embedded voice. I used acoustic sonograms of the Cardigan Bay dolphin vocalisations and translated them into the glass, capturing their voices using fine clusters of bubbles and swirling colour.
These fleeting, ephemeral fragments of their voices are moved and distorted in the making process—only seen from certain angles in the pieces and never in their entirety. The bubbles are held fast between heavy layers of watery teals and deep sea-blues. When the light catches the form from above, the sonograms appear almost as a physical breath caught between waves—rendering a hidden conversation visible.
I hope you find them compelling and that they carry a gentle sense of peace and a reminder of how interconnected we all are, human and non-human.
The exhibition opens in September 2026 at the Ruthin Craft Centre, and I would be absolutely delighted to hear your thoughts on these new pieces.