Jackie Hawkins makes fused glass into all sorts of things to bring an 'Aah!' moment into your life. She's always been a crafter in some form or another, starting as a needlewoman, making clothes, doing cross stitch and becoming a member of the Embroiderers Guild. This has given her a strong grounding in design, and an understanding of quality craftsmanship, which is evident in all her work.
Her life experiences have also made a profound impact on her work, as she travelled the world in her childhood, following her RAF father at an early age to such far flung places as Aden (now Yemen) and Singapore. Exposure to such different cultures and art forms at such a young age has clearly affected how she sees things at a deep level. A few years ago, when she was working with transfers, and making cards, she saw some dichroic glass at a craft fair and was, as she says 'captivated'. When an opportunity to take a course in glass work arose with Bill Robson, who sold his dichroic glass at Lock Warehouse, Jackie grabbed it with both hands!
Thanks to the gift of a kiln from her husband, she was soon making pieces that were snapped up by friends, and she started selling through Gloucester Arts & Crafts in May 2010, shortly after Helen Lomberg opened it in April of that year. In June of this year, she added herself to By local, and the rest is history! She makes a wide variety of pieces, from jewellery to delicate dishes, and continues to stretch the boundaries of her capabilities.
Cheltenham should be grateful to the Cheltenham & Gloucester Building Society, as it was when they took over the family business (a small, local building society) that Jackie and her husband moved to Gloucestershire, so without them, we wouldn't have the pleasure of Jackie's company, and charming work here in By Local! Jackie lives with her husband and a small menagerie of 2 cocker spaniels and 3 cats, and has the privilege of a studio in one of their bedrooms - she only has to go upstairs to work, what an enviable commute!
Pictures cannot do justice to any glass work, as it is so dependent on light - do come into the shop and enjoy it for real!
