BROKEN PLATES

About the Artist

Gillian Preston is an artist working out of Pittsburgh, PA, where she creates fine art in addition to her line of glass wearables. She studied glass at the Cleveland Institute of Art under Brent Kee Young with a strong emphasis on drawing, earning her BFA in glass. As a result of these dual interests, she combines the intimate qualities of hand drawn imagery with contemporary and traditional glass practices to bring light and character to her ideas and narratives. Her work has been recognized In New Glass Review 29 and 31 and is currently on exhibition in boutiques and galleries internationally. 

About the Process

Broken Plates is a line of glass jewelry, cut from the surface of hand blown glass. The process begins in a hot glass studio, where layers of bold, crisp colors are applied to molten glass and blown into a flat surface (or plate) that will serve as the canvas for these glassy wearables. Infused with hand drawn imagery or left as a raw, organic surface, the pieces take shape. Each wearable is cut by hand or with the use of a CNC waterjet before they are polished and fashioned into their final form. ‘Broken Plates’ makes reference to the work’s origin, and the result is a highly unique line of jewelry that transcends current trends and captures the stunning qualities of hand blown glass.