Scottish Glass – Makers, Craftsmen & Artists

D. Smith (Glasscraft)

Duncan Smith

• 1978–2002, Perthshire Paperweights, lampworker
• 2002 to date, own studio, lampwork glass sculpture

Dunc Smith was the head lampworker at the world-famous Perthshire Paperweights in Crieff for 23 years. He began his career in glass straight from school in Perth. His tradesman, Angus Hutchison, left a year or so into Dunc's apprenticeship, so from then on he taught himself, developing his own techniques in the precise and time-consuming field of lampworked glass.

His creations for Perthshire are recognised and sold worldwide by collectors from New York to New Zealand, and, despite Perthshire's closure in 2002, these weights are still sought after by collectors and dealers alike. He is recognised by his peers as one of the top glass artists in his field, and his work is exhibited in many museums, including the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum in the USA.

Since opening his own studio in Perth in 2002, Dunc has pushed the boundaries and developed new techniques to create his own unique form of glass art. His three-dimensional wildlife sculptures, mounted on sliced and polished agate, are one-off pieces that can never be recreated; perfect to collect or give as a gift on a special occasion. Every tiny detail is a separate piece of hot glass applied and worked in a propane/oxygen flame. Complete pieces take days to finish.

Glass and wildlife collectors in the UK and beyond keenly await each show to see what new creations they can add to their collections. You can see some examples of his work on his website at:
www.dsglasscraft.com.