Art, Caithness Glass

Caithness Glass is a Scottish Glass Company specialising in decorative paperweights mostly inspired by the colours and landscapes of Scotland. This is the company site

http://www.caithnessglass.co.uk/about/designers/

The main product of Caithness Glass is the distinctive paperweights, but they do also make a selection of small vases and other fancy table ware.


A little background history and from here.

http://www.scotlandsglass.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14:caithness-glass-co-ltd&catid=22:caithness-glass-co-ltd&Itemid=9

In 1961 Caithness Glass was set up in Wick in the county of Caithness. The traditional industries of fishing and farming were declining and a local landowner, recognising the need for new jobs, set up a glass company to take advantage of the abundant supply of sand in Caithness. This glass has an exceptionally high iron content and will turn Green in the right conditions. 
As there was no tradition of glassmaking in the area, experienced glassmakers from Austria, Germany and Italy were brought in to train the locals. By 1962 the factory employed 40 people.
During the 1950s and 60s the leading designs in glass were Scandinavian influenced which is the style adopted by Cathness glass. The made ranges of vases, bowls and tableware. Caithness Glass specialised in coloured glass, inspired by the soft colours of the Scottish landscape. Many of the company’s products won design awards and in 1968 the company was granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
In 1968 the company established engraving studios when experienced engraver Colin Terris joined the company. At that time the company’s training officer was Paul Ysart, a Spanish glassmaker internationally recognised. This turned out to be a truly inspired partnership and the two of them participated in many secretive paperweight making sessions outside factory hours, Paul imparted many techniques to Colin and Colin began developing his own style of paperweights, choosing a modern, abstract route rather than the traditional styles favoured by Paul.
In 1969 Caithness Glass launched its first paperweights. Because of the incredible interest in space at the time, Colin chose ‘The Planets’ as his first subject. The initial set of four featured interpretations of Mars, Mercury, Venus and Saturn. Limited to editions of 500 each the paperweights proved to be a huge success and, once the problem of actually making the weights was overcome through the re-training of glass blowers, new designs quickly followed. In 1976, as the popularity of these objects As collectors peoces grew, the Collectors’ Society was established. This Society is one of the longest running Societies in the industry and boasts members from around the world.
Paperweight production expanded and new facilities were opened in Perth in 1979 to cope with the increased demand. In 1981 they bought the name of ‘’Whitefriars’’, a name famous since the 17th Century for their artglass and millefiori paperweights. These old pieces  are now very much sought after by collectors of antique paperweights. Caithness Glass continue to produce lamp work paperweights under the White friars brand.
Helen MacDonald is a firm favourite with collectors and is well known for her floral inspired paperweights. She began life at Caithness as an engraver over 30 years ago and then developed her skills under Colin Terris and the  Italian master Franco Toffolo. Helen is now  Lead Designer of cathness Glass and works on both art glass and paperweights.
Gordon Hendry, another of the Cathness designers, began as an engraver and but developed his skills and is now a sought after glass designr.
Allan Scott began in lampworking before joining Caithness Glass in 1983. Lampwork is a highly skilled and challenging technique and Allan’s skills are respected within the paperweight industry. His in-depth knowledge of lampworking ensures that new designs are innovative and exciting.
Linda Campbell joined Caithness in 2000 and, under the tutelage of Allan Scott her skills as a lampworker have developed at a significant rate. Linda’s first designs were launched in 2001 and since then she has regularly contributed to the Whitefriars range, she also designers  more modern styles such as the Tian di Ren collection.
Colin Terris is now internationally recognised as ‘the father of modern paperweights’. He revolutionised the world of paperweights in the late 1960’s and has become known as the face of Caithness Glass.

These are some of the tiny pieces that are cut and blown and end up inside the cathness glass paperweights to give them their special and distinctive style.

delete reply philsgal7759 wrote on Aug 22, '10 gorgeous

delete reply agnes128 wrote on Aug 22, '10 I must confess each time I see one of the paperweight, I'm tempted. Beautiful.

delete reply runcinnamon wrote on Aug 22, '10 Wow these are lovely. Ty 4 sharing.

delete reply pestep55 wrote on Aug 22, '10 Wow - they are wonderful /:-)

delete reply veryfrank wrote on Aug 22, '10 This is wonderful Loretta. I collect art glass and have some Cathness Glass paperweights and they are beautiful.

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Aug 22, '10 I love glass art, I have a small glass teardrop pendant that I bought at an art fair. marvelous stuff.

delete reply greenwytch wrote on Aug 22, '10 i love this art, Loretta. thank you!

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Aug 22, '10 great work and i like the story behind it :)

delete reply mitchylr wrote on Aug 22, '10 Many years ago, I worked in a big store in Birmingham that sold their products. I've been a fan of their work ever since, particularly the paperweights.

delete reply dianahopeless wrote on Aug 22, '10 This is fantastic Loretta! Glass is one of my favorite forms of art.

delete reply acousticeagle wrote on Aug 22, '10, edited on Aug 23, '10 these are very special. I especially like very much the planets paperweights. Beautiful colours and swirls.

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Aug 22, '10 Beautiful work!