Lesley Pyke (King) Artist Statement
My first deliberate scratch was on a small wine glass in 1983, in Harare, Zimbabwe, where I was born.
I had scratched a simple flower, using a basic diamond
pencil, and on holding it up to the light I was overwhelmed
with delight at its’ magical characteristics. It changed the
course of my life immediately.
I joined the Guild of Glass Engravers, London, in 1983, as an Overseas member and proceeded to teach myself with books and videos which I purchased from the UK. Within a few months I was being commissioned by family and friends and so built my business which flourished for the next 19 years in Zimbabwe, using both drill and sandblasting techniques and offering bespoke glass engraving on the smallest glasses to panels and sliding doors.
In 2001 I moved to the UK where I began immediately to build the same business from scratch and where I have a showroom / gallery and workshop in the Halesworth Industrial Centre. In 2018 I moved my business to Henstead, about 30 minutes away.
A myriad of fascinating clients from all over the world have challenged me over the years and continue to do so with their wide variety of tastes and demands. It is often from them that I draw my inspiration for gallery pieces which in turn reflects my ever changing mood.
My clients can always be assured of my personal attention and no matter how large or small the commission the original passion remains unaltered.
Born in the ’60s in Salisbury (now Harare) Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
Education
/ Employment
* 1979 – Left school at 17 after gaining 2 M levels. A level art,
followed by short oil painting course at Salisbury (Harare) School
of Art
*1980 Air Traffic Control Assistant, Charles Prince Airport, Mt Hampden, Harare.
*1982 Air Operations Officer, District Development Fund Aircraft Section, Charles Prince (NOT Prince Charles) Airport, Mt. Hampden, Harare.
*1983 Costings and quotations clerk, Mc Donald Scientific, laboratory section, Msasa, Harare.
*1983 Started glass engraving in 1983 – joined Guild of Glass Engravers as an Overseas member, All my glass engraving is self taught using books and videos. My techniques being: drill, sandblasting and etching.
*1984 Started own engraving business, Harare, Zimbabwe.
During my engraving years in Zimbabwe I was the only professional glass engraver and therefore no grants or awards or any recognition was available. I did manage to send a piece overseas to one of the Guild exhibitions. Any transactions of this nature were extremely difficult from that country.
* Continued this business in Zimbabwe until December 2001 when I moved to Suffolk, UK and rebuilt same business from scratch which I operate to this day.
*Shortly after arriving in the UK I served on the Council of the Guild of Glass Engravers for 2 years.
Exhibitions / shows / engraving events since arriving UK December 2001
*2003
Buckenham Galleries, Southwold.
*2004 Guild of Glass Engravers National Exhibition
*I have a stand at the Cambridge Glass Fair twice a year, and have
done every year since 2005 and continue to do so. The next event being
23rd September 2012 http://www.cambridgeglassfair.co.uk/
*2006 Guild of Glass Engravers National Exhibition
*2007 submitted the hand engraved crystal cullet “Endangered” to the Glass Sellers Engraving Award and was chosen as a finalist.
*2007 Glass Sellers Award exhibition, London Glass Blowing.
*2008 Engraving all perfumes Harrods, London
*2009 Engraving all perfumes Harrods, London
*2009 Engraving at Harrods, London, for Guerlain
*Showed at Art Glass Fair, Dulwich, London (now named SE21 Glass and Ceramics Fair) 2007/8
*2010 “Deep Surface Exhibition” – Zest Contemporary Glass Gallery, London
*2010 “21st Century Engraved Glass”, Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
*2010 “Autumn 2010 Exhibition” Stourbridge Gallery
*2011 Engraving at Harrods, London, for Givenchy
*2011 Engraving at Harrods, for Bond no.9
* 2011 Engraving at various outlets for Liz Earle
*2012 Engraving at Harrods for Acqua di Parma
*2012 World Land Trust Exhibition
*2012 Work currently represented by
*2012 Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) Glass Medallions 22 Aug – 15 September. Ruskins Glass Centre. Event: International Glass Festival Medallion SOLD to Dan Klein & Alan J. Poole (Private Collection) @ National Museums Scotland. Edinburgh. GB.
*2012 Guild of Glass Engravers 2012 National Exhibition 21st Century Engraved Glass, Red House Glass Cone, Stourbridge 13 August – Sunday 7 October.
” 2012 Plowden and Thompson “Gallery90 in 2012” August 24th – Official opening at 5.00 p.m. ‘The Store’ Dial Glass Works, Stewkins, Stourbridge, DY8 4YN
Event: International Glass Festival
*2012 ZEST Contemporary Glass Gallery, London. WINTER GLASSCAPE 8 November – 21 December 2012
*2012 World Land Trust Exhibition
*2013 Ladies’ Vice Captain of Halesworth
Golf
*2013 (March) Engraving perfumes at Selfridges, London, for Acqua di Parma
*2013 World Land Trust Exhibition
*2013 World Land Trust Exhibition
*2013 CRAFTCO Glass exhibition, Southwold. November 30th 2013- January 20th 2014
*2013 engraving for Bombay Sapphire at Selfridges, London, 10/11 Dec
*2014 Ladies’ Vice Captain of Halesworth
Golf Club (2nd year)
*2014 engraving for Dior
*2014 Engraving for Bombay Sapphire, Worlds Most Imaginative Bartender Award Final event. Dartmouth House London, June.
*2014 Engraving for Givenchy, Harrods, August.
*2014 Engraving for Diageo, Johnny Walker Blue Label, Symphony In Blue event, Merchant Taylors’ Hall, London. September.
*2014, 2 works showing at INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ENGRAVED GLASS (Guild of Glass Engravers exhibition) Morley College Gallery, London October.
*2014, Engraving events for Bombay Sapphire in Selfridges Birmingham and London.
*2015 Ladies’ Captain Halesworth
Golf.
*2015 June, exhibited and sold “Curiosity” at the Guild of Glass Engravers Exhibition, Stourbridge.
*2015 June Winner of The Contemporary Glass Society annual Glass Art Prize, which corresponded with the week-long International Festival of Glass in Stourbridge, England. “Wish you were here”
*2016
Engraving for Givenchy, in Harrods and Debenhams, Oxford St, London,
in March*2016
Engraving for Gucci, Debenhams,Oxford St, London, in June. Perfume
Launch.
*2017
Worked (engraving in situ) on contract in Egypt, 10 days, official
opening of The Mall of Egypt (Largest shopping mall in Africa)
*2017
Travelled to teach students in South France and Scotland.
*2018
Relocated my business to Henstead Nr Beccles
*2018
Re-married, now Mrs. Lesley King (Professional name remains Lesley
Pyke)
*2019 Business as usual, glass engraving commissions, teaching glass engraving and golf. Highlight: Inviting Bruce Grobbelaar to play golf with us as my guest in the Air Ambulance Charity Day, Halesworth Golf. I have known Bruce for many years as we were both members of Warren Hills Golf Club in Harare. I have completed various glass commissions for Bruce.
*2019 Noteable commissions: all the awards for Concours D’Elegance, Heveningham Hall. (which I complete every year to date.)
*2019 Feature article in GLASS MATTERS – The magazine of the Glass Society.
*2020 Covid lockdowns, worked from spare room at home. Continuing to make videos for my Patreon teaching channel https://www.patreon.com/glassengraving .
*2020 Created Covid Cullet
*2020 Noteable commission, crystal decanter fully engraved for award winning Dr. Mrk D. Soll – USA.
*2021 Travelled to Doha Qatar, to work for Royal family members in one of the palaces. Business travel only during this Covid period.
*2021 Rest of year painfully and worryingly quiet.
*2022 I turned 60!
*2022 Apart from one or two luxury orders, the year continues to be disturbingly quiet.
*2022, My eldest son gets married in Auckland New Zealand, after changing the date 3 times, and I still could not go due to covid restrictions in that country. Utterly heart breaking.
*2022 Delighted to still be engraving annual Heveningham Concourse trophies.
*2022 Had the pleasure of teaching a few students one to one during the year.
*2022 Worked in London at a large store event for Off White perfume.
*2022 Finally travelled, solo, to see my kids in New Zealand. (and climbed a volcano!)
*2023 A couple of luxury gifts but then quiet again. Exhibited in “Sumptuous Summer” for CGS at Buckenham Galleries, Southwold. Subsequently was asked by the gallery to become one of their regular artists. I presently have 5 pieces there. https://buckenhamgalleries.co.uk/artist/lesley-pyke/
*2023 created a Coronation Chalice to commemorate the event. This piece along with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee are still available for sale. Contact me for further details.
*2023 I was sent an Xtool M1 laser and cutter and smoke purifier by xTool in exchange for some video reviews. Am amazing machine, but I will NOT be using this on glass!!
*2023 We won the Stearn Trophy after a phenomenal season of matches (GOLF NEWS as not much business!)
*2024 Noteable commission from regular client, Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital, London.Bi-annual Trust awards.
*2024 Continues to be generally very quiet apart from a few luxury commissions.
*2024 created “Marine Overture” now in Buckenham Galleries. https://buckenhamgalleries.co.uk/
| Commissions As my business is mainly commission based I have had many thousands of commissions since 1983. My clients have been from all over the world and include large corporations, celebrities, European Royalty, an African Head of State. My market is mainly high end luxury gifts presentations and awards, although a good proportion of my clients are the general public requiring simple engraving. Representation *Permanent display of engraved work and crystal blanks for engraving commissions in my Gallery / Showroom, Halesworth, Suffolk. Miscellaneous For many years I gave talks on the history of my work and glass engraving in general, on arrival in UK I became a WI speaker for Suffolk giving an average of 15 talks a year for 3 years until the business took all my time. It was a good way of introducing myself and my craft to the area where I live and where glass engraving is relatively unknown. I have taught glass engraving since 1995, mainly one to one on request, I also taught 12 students twice a year in Darsham village in their craft experience days for 6 years. I now teach at my premises |
