Topic: Clearly James, glassmaker - ID = James Watts

[Anne]

I spotted a piece of glass yesterday, signed Clearly James, #1996, and have been trying to find more about the maker. All the links for his website lead to a dead site. The only other info I found is that he was apparently an apprentice to Ron Wilkinson (formerly of Whitefriars Glass) and that he is a mobile glassmaker.

I cannot find any pictures of his work anywhere. Does anyone have any, or know if this man is collectable please?

[Della]

Hi Anne,
Maybe you could email them and ask what happened to their website.
clearly-james@deadlock.demon.co.uk
He does do a lot of demonstrations it seems and I read that his work is very collectable.
http://www.craft-shows.co.uk/demonstrators/Clearly_James_Glassblowing/
But I presume this is the site that you found already.

[pamela]

Hi Anne,
...and you could add an 's' to Deltab's link above:

http://www.craft-shows.co.uk/demonstrators/Clearly_James_Glassblowing/

 

[Della]

Thanks Pamela,
Not sure how that happened as I just copied and pasted :?:

[Anne]

Thanks to you both, yes that was one of the links I found Della. The e-mail address shown bounces I'm afraid.  For a collectable glassmaker there is very little about him online.  :?

[taylog1]

I like an Internet challenge !

http://www.sgsanz.org.au/hot%20gas/nov96.html

Bottom of page refers to James Watts as the craftsman behind Clearly James.

James then pops up here:
http://www.barleylandsglassworks.co.uk/history.html Mod: dead link

and this looks to be the travelling studio reborn:

http://www.barleylandsglassworks.co.uk/shows.html Mod: dead link

hope this helps

taylog1

[Anne]

Brilliant! Thanks ever so much for the links.

I'd found the first one - that's where I read about James' being apprenticed to big Ron Wilkinson, but the other two I hadn't found at all.

I shall add the new site to the Glass Links Library now as well.

[Anne]

Video of Clearly James team at work:
http://www.youtube.com/v/n4uNdCRZPUw

and their current output:
http://www.ashesintoglass.co.uk/

and a news story from the local paper about them:
http://www.echo-news.co.uk/echofeatures/1205782.firm_turns_ashes_into_jewellery_or_vases/

[chilternhills]

Just to add a few pictures of a James Watts baluster vase I bought recently, signed on the base 'Clearly James 1999', as well as the Barleylands Glassworks logo. Most of the links above are dead but this one https://www.ashesintoglass.co.uk/the-details/history.html is current. I must say the part of the video on this page where they make the globes for the lamps outside Buckingham Palace is amazing. The globes are huge. Bravo!

Anton