Eileen Gordon – Artist
Eileen Gordon – Artist Biography
Born in Norway to Scottish parents who are both skilled glass artists and engravers, Eileen completed her training in England, then emigrated to Australia in 1980. After many years developing her skills and working in glass studios around Australia and overseas, Eileen Gordon established the Gordon Studio with her partner Grant Donaldson in 1990 and has gone on to become one of Australia’s foremost glass blowers. Eileen’s elegant vessels are a radiant record of the colour and light she finds in the Australian landscape. My passion for colour and form as a fused glass artist is greatly inspired by the environment of the Mornington Peninsula
– the surrounding ocean, its sunrises and fabulous sunsets. ”
View Artist Gallery
CURRICULUM VITAE
1961 Born in Bergen, Norway.
1973 Moved to Scotland with her family.
1979-80 Completed intensive course in glass blowing & decorating, Brierley Hill Glass Center, West Midlands, U.K.
1980-81 Emigrated to Australia. Joined the Bannister Street Workshops in Perth, W A. working with Lead lighting, sandblasting and cutting.
1982-84 Jam Factory Workshops Inc., Adelaide, S.A 3 year traineeship in all aspects of glass making.
1985-87 Helped James Dodson establish the ‘Tasmanian Glass blowers’ workshop in Evandale, Tasmania.
1987-88 Studied glass technology and visited glass studios & factories in UK. Attended ‘British Artists in Glass’ Conference in Edinburgh.
Spent 2 months with ‘Isle of Wight’ glass, England, making production glass.
6 months at Okra Glass, Kinver, West Midlands, England. Making their production Art glass.
1988-89 Hired various studios in Melbourne, and worked part time for glass artist Rob Knottenbelt, whilst establishing The Gordon Studio, Numurkah, Victoria.
1990 The Gordon studio opens in Numurkah. A wide range of unique glass art produced. The demand for Eileen’s glass was so great that her husband, Grant Donaldson decided to sell their partnership in a dairy farm, freeing them to concentrate on the glass making full time.
1994 Eileen and Grant moved ‘The Gordon Studio Glassblowers’ to Rosebud, Victoria, enlarging their wholesale glass production as well as their range of unique art glass.
2005 Closed their Rosebud glass studio and opened a specially designed glass workshop, studio and gallery with viewing space at Red Hill, in the beautiful hinterland of the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria. The studio is also used by other glass blowers and is now a tourist attraction, open 7 days a week.
AWARDS:
- 1991 Sheppartons Kiwanis Art and Craft Show
- 1992 Numurkah Rotary Art and Craft Show
- 1993 Numurkah Rotary Art and Craft Show
- 1993 Mornington Peninsula Craft Event
- 1999 Special Exhibit Award – Australian Craft Show, Canberra.
- Various special commissions for the Australian Government
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS:
- Devonport Museum and Art Gallery
- Footscray Town Hall
- The McGaughey Glass Collection, Latrobe Regional Gallery
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
- 1984 Jam Factory Gallery, Adelaide, S.A.
- 1985 Startling Originals, Birchgrove Gallery, Hahndorf, S.A.
- 1986 Spots, Prints and Stripes, Saddlers Court Gallery, Richmond, Tasmania.
- 1990 Anville Gallery, Wodonga, Vic.
- 1996 Sea in Glass, The Gordon Studios Exhibition, Peninsula Gallery,Vic.
- 1996 The Warmth of Winter, Bethany Art Gallery, Barossa Valley, S.A.
- 2006 The Gordon Family, Kirra gallery, Melbourne.
- 2007 Glass is oxygen, Without Pier gallery, Cheltenham.
- 2007 Cool Climate Glass, Lindenderry at Red Hill
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1982 The Craft Center Art Glass Group Show, Melbourne, Vic
1983 Sec:ond National Glass Biennial, Wagga Wagga City Art Gallery, NSW.
Craft in the West, Editions Gallery, W.A.
Ausglass – Second National Exhibition, Adelaide, S.A.
Two Man Show, Limeburners Gallery, McLarenvale, S.A.
Royal Show Craft Awards, S.A.
Glass Works, Australian Craft gallery, Qld.
1984 Women Glass Makers, Distelfink Gallery, Vic.
Potters Cottage group show, Vic.
Transport Treasures, Aldgate Crafts, S.A.
The Three Conebinations, MGM Gallery, Melbourne, Vic.
1985 Handmark Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
1986 First Acquisition Exhibition, Devonport Museum and Art Gallery, Tasmania.
1993 Kiwanis Art and Craft Exhibition Shepparton Art Gallery, Vic.Anville Gallery, Beachworth, Vic.
1995 Mornington Peninsula Craft Event, Mornington, Vic.
1996 Bright Art Gallery, Bright, Vic.
Sea In Glass, Peninsula Galleries, Sorrento, Vic.
1997 The Gordon Family, Glass Artist Gallery, Glebe, NSW.
1998 Without Pier, Family Exhibit, Sandringham, Vic.
1999 Azecra Kimono Dept. Store, Osaka, Japan.
Munich International Craft Fair, Germany.
Interior DesignEx Show, Melbourne, Vic.
2000 Munich International Craft Fair, Germany. Translucence, Johnstone Gallery Revisited, Brisbane, Qld.
2001 Munich International Trade fair, Germany
Without Pier, Sandringham, Vic.
Ausglass Conference “Members Exhibition”, Melbourne.
Commissioned for 16 vases for the CHOGM Candidates.
2002 Commissioned for 3 vases for Crown Casino, Melbourne.
Munich International Craft Fair, Germany
SOFA – Chicago, USA
The Journey . Eileen Gordon and Grant Donaldson, Skepsi on Swanston Vic.
2006 Flair Exhibition, Perth, WA.
Glass plus Five, Glass Plus Gallery, Sth. Melbourne
Outback and Beyond, Seaview gallery. Queenscliff.
2008 Some like it Hot.
Glass Plus Gallery, South Melbourne