Glass artist Helen Eastham is passionate about making work which connects her and others to the topography, flora and fauna of Cornwall. Her playground has been the beaches, coast-paths and inter-tidal zones of the coast for decades.
She states, “There is nothing better or nicer than meandering along the paths, walking across virgin sand left by the retreating tide or exploring the rockpools; my work is about bringing the outdoors indoors.” Helen’s aim is for individuals to connect with her work, and through seeing it to recognise the benefits that engaging with green and blue outdoor spaces can have on health and wellbeing.
Helen works with glass powders and sheet glass to interpret her abstracted designs, building, layering and using multiple firings to create each unique vessel. She sketches and draws, planning the designs in advance, but on the day her process is also organic: much of what she feels will influence the design further.
Helen loves the freedom of the unknown; she embraces the ability to react to an unexpected occurrence to develop the work as it is made. As a lifelong learner, she enjoys the way that each design feeds and informs the next. “It’s simple, I love what I do, it’s an adventure and a journey of discovery.”
