With James Maskrey and Louis Thompson

On Saturday 14 March, as part of our annual Gather exhibition, two masters of contemporary glassmaking took to our hotshop for an unforgettable afternoon of live demonstration. Resident artist Louis Thompson was joined by celebrated guest artist James Maskrey - a long-term friend and fellow giant of the British glass world.

This was a particularly rare occasion, as it was James' first-ever demonstration at London Glassblowing, offering visitors a unique, front-row seat to witness two remarkable artists at work side by side.

James Maskrey

During the demonstration, James revealed the captivating process behind The Cartographers bottle series - works that fuse ancient imagery with contemporary glass by encasing printed paper within layers of clear crystal. Each bottle takes its inspiration from the mythical creatures and fantastical illustrations that haunted the edges of antique maps - the monsters that stalked sailors' nightmares and gave rise to legendary tales; from Sea Devil and The Kraken to The Lambton Worm, Münster's Monsters and Knarlfish. Witnessing James create one of these surreal objects before our eyes made for a truly spellbinding afternoon.

Louis Thompson

Fresh from the unveiling of his new Baobab collection at Collect Art Fair, Louis gave visitors a special insight into this exciting new body of work, sharing the creative thinking and process behind his latest artistic direction. The Baobab draws on the symbolism of the tree of life, representing resilience, growth, and adaptation. These works explore humanity’s connection to nature and the cycle of change, prompting reflection on what we value and the fleeting nature of memory. 

Together, Louis and James delivered an afternoon that was intellectually stimulating - a fitting celebration of the craft, creativity and camaraderie at the heart of Gather.

With Tim Rawlinson and Peter Layton

Our second artist demonstration part of Gather was held on Saturday 28 March, with Tim Rawlinson and Peter Layton centre stage in the hotshop.



Tim Rawlinson

Tim demonstrated how he creates his new work, Electric Parallax. Drawing inspiration from the magnetic fields surrounding planets, this piece captures orbital patterns in glass, transforming scientific phenomena into a large-scale celestial artwork. The birth of this piece starts with an embryo - a pre-made ball of colour that is carved into, removing layers of colour to achieve a more intricate design. Encased in clear glass, the piece is then extensively polished and cold worked to achieve illusionary depth. 

Electric Parallax by Tim Rawlinson, at Collect 2026

Peter Layton

In the afternoon, visitors discovered the ideas, influences and craftsmanship of Peter Layton's new work. Peter shared the evolution and inspiration behind his elegant Milos figures, inspired by his long admiration for Cycladic sculpture.

Milos draws from the Greek island of the same name, where wind and sea have sculpted dramatic white volcanic cliffs into smooth, otherworldly shapes at Sarakiniko Beach. The island is also where the Venus de Milo was discovered, inspiring the form of these magnificent glass sculptures. View the variations of this figurative form here.

Purple Milos, created during the demonstration

Liam Reeves creating Electric Parallax, assisting Tim during the demonstration

Customers admiring Tim Rawlinson's Fabrica Parallax