ARTIST PROFILE

Having begun his activities initially as a painter, George moved to ceramics – later adopting glass as an additional creative vehicle.

Glass along with ceramics can be both exciting and cruel; very often springing pleasant unexpected surprises, but equally likely to be unforgiving and heart-breaking. They are both full of contradictions – fragile and strong, can be soft in appearance but hard in their nature.

George has an interest in working with a wide range of materials – clay, glass, metals and colourants. Each piece of work is essentially an experiment; carrying some new and untried combination of metals, oxides, glazes or stains.

"It is the ‘not-knowing quite what to expect’ that keeps me enthralled in the creative process. It is good that I have this ‘Christmas present’ approach because glass is particularly unforgiving and can be extremely reluctant to perform to expectation" - George F Jackson

Pâte de verre is George's preferred technique when creating in glass – bringing together a number of skills and working methods. The process lends itself to an incremental approach, allowing for the gradual development of ideas within a piece of work or theme. Pressure and restrictions upon working time are manageable. The process is affordable, particularly when using recycled glass, as he often does. It is challenging, unpredictable, time consuming, yet satisfying.

Most of George's work begins life as a vague idea and a loose sketch. These basic starting points are translated into clay which is where the ‘real work’ takes place. Clay is his drawing medium. Through working the clay, aesthetic considerations of composition and form are explored.

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AWARDS

• Elected Associate of The Royal Birmingham Society of Artists 2014

• Short listed for ‘The Glass Sellers Awards’ 2005

• Scholarship Studio Award – International Glass Centre 2004

• Student of the Year – International Glass Centre 2003