Heather McNeilly

Glass

This started as a hobby in 1995 when I enrolled for evening classes in stained glass in Winchester. After nearly ten years of making things for friends and family I took on a workshop at a craft centre near Andover in Hampshire, where I made stained glass windows to commission. During that time I bought a small kiln and started to experiment with fusing glass.

In 2011 I moved to Ilfracombe and opened Shoreline Glass in Ilfracombe High Street. One of the main skills I have learned whilst working in Ilfracombe is how to restore Victorian stained glass. It is very rewarding to bring these wonderful works of art back to life. I have studied the ancient craft of fired glass painting, which is often essential to complete a restoration. Using the same traditional techniques, I produce decorative panels, finding inspiration from the plants and wildlife in my garden or when out walking on the coast path.

My fused glass work is often inspired by the beaches and landscape of North Devon, especially the blues and greens of sea and sky.