Light, Colour, and the Wirral Coastline: The Glass Art of Helen Smith

Whether in the form of a striking wall panel, a curved sculptural piece, or a simple pendant, Helen Smith’s work speaks of connection—to landscape, to memory, and to the quiet rhythms of the tide. It’s glass art that doesn’t just reflect the coast—it distills it into something lasting and luminous.

Off the beaten path in the quiet northwest corner of the Wirral Peninsula, where the land meets the ever-shifting waters of the Dee Estuary, artist Helen Smith creates striking sculptural glass forms inspired by the natural textures and colours of the coast. Working from her studio just a stone’s throw from the shoreline, Helen’s work captures the spirit of her surroundings—pieces that feel as though they carry the air, light, and movement of the tidal landscape within them.

Helen is a kiln-formed glass artist—also known as ‘warm’ glass—who uses a painstaking, multi-stage process to build up richly layered works. From elegant wall panels to softly curved sculptural forms, each of her creations is a careful composition of colour, translucency, and surface texture. At once contemporary and organic, Helen’s work evokes the landscape without ever directly copying it.

“Inspiration very much comes from a sense of place,” she explains. “Living so close to the Dee estuary, my regular walk is along the strandline. It’s pebbly and uneven, so usually I’m looking down—watching where I step so I don’t turn my ankle. The ground changes with every tide. Sometimes there's soft golden sand, other times it’s been scoured away to reveal red clay. But always there are stones, pebbles, sea-smoothed brick fragments, and broken shells like crescent moons half-buried in the sand.”

These elements—both visual and tactile—become the raw ingredients of Helen’s creative process. In her studio, she builds each piece in layers. Starting flat, she works with glass powders, frit (small chunks of glass), and sheet glass, layering and arranging them before firing the piece in a kiln. This is no one-and-done process. After each firing, Helen sandblasts the surface to create a matte, touchable texture, then adds more layers. Many of her pieces go through the kiln multiple times—each cycle adding depth, colour, and complexity.

In the final stage, the glass is shaped, either fired flat or draped over a former to produce a sculptural curve. The result is a finished piece that catches and filters light in a way no photograph can fully capture—inviting not just viewing, but touch. There’s a softness to the surfaces, a quietness in the colours, that feels deeply connected to the natural world.

Helen’s journey into glass was not a straight path. Her early career was in IT, but a growing creative pull led her to retrain, studying Applied Arts at Glyndwr University in Wales. It was there that she fell in love with glass and its possibilities. Since graduating, she has dedicated herself to the medium, exhibiting her work both locally and across the UK.

Alongside her studio practice, Helen is also an active member of her local creative community. She co-founded LAKE Gallery in West Kirby, a contemporary gallery space showcasing a changing programme of exhibitions, and she’s one of the organisers behind the popular Wirral Open Studio Tour, which invites the public behind the scenes into artists’ studios across the region each year. She’s also a member of the Contemporary Glass Society, a national organisation promoting excellence in glass art.

For Helen, glass is not just a material—it’s a way of capturing a moment, a place, a feeling. “I live on the edge of the Wirral Peninsula, a place bounded by water on three sides,” she says. “When I walk down to the shore, it’s like stepping into a different world the instant I put my foot on the sand. I want my work to hold a little of that feeling—to transport you, however briefly, to that peaceful place along the shoreline.”

This same inspiration spills over into her range of handmade jewellery. These smaller pieces are equally considered, crafted from layers of coloured glass formed in the kiln and finished to the same soft, satin-smooth surface that defines her larger works. Inspired by sea glass, wave-worn pebbles, and the colours of the coast, each item is designed to be not only beautiful, but tactile—something that invites you to touch, to wear, and to carry a piece of the seashore with you. They make perfect gifts for sea lovers, beachcombers, or anyone who feels the call of the coast.

Whether in the form of a striking wall panel, a curved sculptural piece, or a simple pendant, Helen Smith’s work speaks of connection—to landscape, to memory, and to the quiet rhythms of the tide. It’s glass art that doesn’t just reflect the coast—it distills it into something lasting and luminous.

Explore Helen's work: helen-smith.com

Shop the Jewellery Collection: folksy.com/shops/HelenSmith

Follow the journey on Instagram: instagram.com/helensmithartist

We intentionally don’t include photo captions—our aim is to encourage you to visit the featured brand’s website and explore their work in full context.

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