Bowl, 'Fern'

This bowl called 'Fern' was part of an exhibition of work by Scots-born New Zealand glass artist Elizabeth McClure entitled Seasons of Change. The exhibition was held at the Dowse Art Museum in 2001 to celebrate McClure's selection as the recipient of the inaugural Thomas Foundation Glass Award. The bowl's deep well of blue evokes feelings of serenity and stability, in contrast to its surface of mass carved marks.

Elizabeth McClure
McClure studied at the Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland, in the late 1970s. She then worked in glass and travelled, first visiting New Zealand in 1987. She returned to live here in 1993.

Intuitive approach
At the time of making this bowl, McClure commented: 'Approaching each piece can be as different from one day to another ... the weather, the light, mood and emotions influencing the intuitive approach I have to my work at this time.'

'In the last few years I have crossed oceans and hemispheres and seasons, and this has profoundly affected my perception and interpretation of many things ... Continued exposure to new colours in the Pacific light, through living in Aotearoa / New Zealand, and after trips to the Pacific islands .. .has further extended my palette.'