About Alison Vincent

I am an independent hot glass artist based in England, UK. — I am an independent hot glass artist based in South Buckinghamshire, England, UK.

My love of wilderness and glass

I hand-create statement glass art inspired by my sailing and diving encounters in remote wild nature using hot furnace glass and dramatic techniques.

I have a passion for being in extreme wildernesses - especially Antarctica and the Arctic - with mountains, sea life and ice - or far-flung islands with ocean life.

These big expanses give me a sense of adventure and exhilaration and being there is a real privilege. Vast, rugged landscapes make me feel very small but connected with this world. I am concerned about their fragile future and want to raise awareness so others care and protect them too.

I am privileged to have been on 3 expeditions to Antarctica including scuba diving and sailing to and from South America and 4 expeditions to the Arctic including sailing from Norway to Svalbard as a volunteer watch leader for 2 months on a 2,000 mile expedition, and swimming with orca and humpbacks.

I spent a year travelling in South America and have dived in some of the world’s farthest and most remote places with the most amazing sea life including The Galapagos twice and Cocos, Socorro and Raja Ampat. I am grateful for all my trips to fascinating and remote locations, amazing landscapes and incredible wildlife.

My first glassblowing experience was in 2012 and was addicted! For several years I blew just 3-4 days a year – nothing! In 2019 I jumped ship from a packaging consultant to focus fully on glass.

I am self-taught through hiring studios and the owner for one-to-one tuition around the UK, living away from home a week at a time, and through attending masterclasses in the UK and overseas.

It’s slow and awfully expensive but the best way to learn and develop my skills and style. Learning glass skills to a proficient level and access to the few studios available for hire are extremely difficult and expensive.

As of 2022 when I was filming for the BBC, I had only 100 glass days under my belt, it takes 7 years of daily blowing to be called a master!

Glassblowing is the hardest thing I have ever done! It’s challenging, stupidly expensive, frustrating, but addictive and so satisfying when it ‘goes right’!

I combine 2,000-year-old techniques with my own unconventional methods which are part of my overall enjoyment. I love shaping liquid glass into unique sculptures and enjoy the clarity, refraction and magnification. Many of my pieces push the glass to it’s limits in terms of thick and thin sections making it very difficult to make but more rewarding for me.

In January 2023 I appeared in the first BBC TV series “Make It At Market” (Series 1 Episode 9) which aired several times on BBC1, BBC2, iPlayer, BritBox, and U&Yesterday in the UK and worldwide.

Also, in January 2023, I opened my own glass blowing and cold working studio in South Buckinghamshire which I had been building up to for a couple of years.

I make limited series of pieces, commissions and custom awards and trophies.

I individually sign each piece.

Alison Vincent