Building Something Beautiful Together
Whether you realize it or not, glass is everywhere. From the windows that welcome the outdoors inside to the bottles we drink out of and the screens we keep in our pockets all day, we all encounter glass every day of our lives. Yet, glass is also fragile, often fracturing into fragments we discard without thinking. In a world that is increasingly looking towards how to better manage the waste we create, this brings one looming question to mind: what happens to all this glass when we’re finished with it?
When Neil first started working with glass, setting up his studio, Hanscomb Glass, in Elora, he worked primarily with handblown, purchased glass (often from Europe). However, as time went on, he began to realize how much glass was around him. Today, Neil works primarily with glass salvaged from bottles, old panes, and broken cast-offs.
Aside from helping his own community and supporting the environment through the upcycling of local products, working with salvaged glass adds to the story of a piece, deepening its personal meaning. Instead of a piece built from brand-new glass, which has only ever existed in its current form, a piece built from salvaged glass carries all of the stories from each of the fragments that came with it. This can be seen in Neil’s work, which often includes unique building blocks to create one beautiful piece with a compelling story.
Although Neil has done public commissions before, they don’t bring him the same joy that working with a private client does. Stepping into a person’s home and building something for their lives that is both meaningful and often functional is an honour that he doesn’t take lightly.
Today’s homes have a complex relationship with windows. Often, we want bright spaces that invite the light and outdoors in. However, we don’t always want to let our private lives back out at the same time. Making matters worse, many North American homes are built in close proximity to each other, leaving people with the feeling of living on top of their neighbours. Neil frequently works with textures and techniques to create privacy glass for homes. However, there is a trick to finding the right balance of light and obscurity. Neil enjoys finding that balance in unique ways for each client, providing both function and art.
While Neil takes commission work, he won’t accept every job. If you’re looking for something in a highly specific pattern or with a lot of specific colours, he’ll likely direct you to another glassworker. Neil works best when you don’t actually know what you want, just that you want something that suits his style. He’ll also never promise a certain look at any point in the process. He reserves the right to always be smarter tomorrow than he is today, meaning that he may start with one idea, and then change his mind as he starts working and realizes something may be a better fit. The one thing that is guaranteed is that you will always receive a beautiful piece that fits your needs to the best of Neil’s abilities.
Hanscomb Glass may have started with Neil, but now he’s just one part of a primarily women-led team that keeps the business running. Hanscomb glass first began to grow in 1984, when Neil’s partner, Gisela, immigrated from Germany. They have run the studio and store together ever since, and now their daughters, Yanna and Imke, are involved as well. Despite both living overseas (Singapore and Germany, respectively), they help run their website and social media, keeping Hanscomb glass up to date in the modern world.
Over the years, they have had great help, and today their team consists not just of their family but three wonderful women as well. Krista joined Hanscomb glass twelve years ago and is an essential member of the team, working there fulltime. Erin is a local glass artist from Fergus who assists part time with assembling pieces and works in the store, and, finally, the newest member of the team is Sara who started as in intern two years ago; she’s now their inhouse torch worker and comes in regularly while still attending her courses at Sheridan College.
Today, Hanscomb Glass may look different from how it did when it started, but it has only built on the same principles of quality and meaningful work that tells a story. It also wouldn’t run nearly as well as it does without the amazing team who supports it.
To discover more of what the team at Hanscomb Glass can do, you can visit their shop full of beautiful pieces ready to take home today (or inquire about a commission) at 40 Church Street, just a quick turn off the “main drag”, in Elora.
WRITTEN BY: JILLIAN KENT | PHOTOGRAPHY & RESOURCES: HANSCOMB GLASS
