Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Sophie Longwill, I live in Cork city and have a studio in the National Sculpture Factory. I grew up in Co Kildare surrounded by farmland.
Although we didn’t have a proper farm as such, we always kept a few animals over the years.
My favourites were the Gloucester Old Spot pigs that were gorgeous and very mischievous.
My dad was very involved with the farming community – his first company Magenta Direct was a mail order catalogue for farming supplies, while his second company LW Associates provided integrated marketing for many large agribusinesses.
Since I was a child, I have dreamed of one day finding a home with space for a llama and alpaca farm
I’ve always loved the countryside and love getting out of the city to find inspiration in nature. Since I was a child, I have dreamed of one day finding a home with space for a llama and alpaca farm.
Why and when did you set up your business?
I set up my business in 2019 after moving to Cork.
Some of my family had moved here a few years previously and after my studio in Dublin was destroyed in a fire, I figured it was a good time for a fresh start.
Sophie's Nubivagant (Cloud Wanderer) series are sculptural glass vessels, inspired by beautiful skies and mindful moments.
I had a wealth of knowledge and skills relating to art and design having exhibited my work professionally since the age of 15, plus years of training at Grennan Mill Craft School and the National College of Art and Design.
I had trouble finding a job that would maximise all of my skills so I decided the best way to reach my full potential was to hire myself!
Can you explain your process?
Although my work has taken many different forms, a common thread running through every series is trying to capture fleeting moments of everyday life.
I love to transform ordinary or overlooked parts of life and add a little sense of magic and wonder, because that is how I see the world.
My current series is called Nubivagant (Cloud Wanderer) and is inspired by beautiful skies, lucid dreams. I start with lots of photos, both my own and contributions from friends and family.
I was getting up at dawn for weeks to study the light when I began this series, which was a major challenge because I am not a morning person!
Sophie Longwill's 'Modern Love Letter Series' presents a modern take on the traditional love letter.
Once I’m ready, I gather all my research materials around me and make watercolour paintings to understand the layers of colours. Then I begin making the glass sculptures.
My glass process incorporates elements from my background in printmaking.
I make plaster moulds that are flat like a printing plate and carve in my designs. Instead of ink, powdered glass is pushed into the crevices and once fired, the lines are raised.
Layers of coloured glass powders are built up and fired in the kiln to make delicate discs.
I love this way to capture mark making and bring my drawings to life, an idea you can hold
These discs are then fired again and allowed to gently fold in the kiln, resulting in vessels that are like windows to other realms holding the serenity of the natural world.
I love this way to capture mark making and bring my drawings to life, an idea you can hold. A sensitivity to colour and surface texture is vital to my work.
What is it about your business that brings you joy?
So much about my business brings me joy, even when it gets really challenging, I’m so proud of what I have achieved so far.
I get a lot of happiness from sending my glass around the world for exhibitions
I love to experiment with new materials and processes and once I’m making, I get completely absorbed in the materials and following the flow of creativity.
I get a lot of happiness from sending my glass around the world for exhibitions, especially if I get to travel with it.
I was lucky to get over to Liverpool for my recent solo show “In the Window” at the Bluecoat Display Centre and at the same time I had a piece in the International Biennale of Glass exhibition in Bulgaria, which had a great online portal to meet virtually with other artists and people visiting the show.
That is all I have ever wanted in life, to bring beauty and joy to people’s lives through art
Connecting with people brings me so much joy. I love chatting away with everyone on social media and it really thrills me when somebody loves my work enough to have it in their life.
Hearing my clients’ feedback about how the work brings them so much happiness is the best feeling in the world. That is all I have ever wanted in life, to bring beauty and joy to people’s lives through art.
What are your hopes for your business for 2022?
I’m going big! I’m working on a project at the moment thanks to an award from the Arts Council that combines my glass sculptures with micro-computers to make a kinetic sculpture that will perform in response to the movements of the audience.
I’m very excited about it, so I hope I can pull it off! It’s totally out of my comfort zone, but I really want to challenge myself this year to work on a larger scale and move toward installation work and public art so I am also applying for some big commissions.
I’m also hoping to get gallery representation so I am making a portfolio of my bespoke glass vessels and paintings.
I love to make artwork for people that is really unique and special to them
As always, I hope to keep growing my business and bringing joyful art to as many people as possible, so I’m hoping for more personal client commissions too as I love to make artwork for people that is really unique and special to them.
What is the best piece of advice you would give a start-up business?
Be kind to yourself. Sometimes things can take longer or go a totally different way than expected but it’s so worth it to do what you love every day. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.
There are so many invaluable resources from the Local Enterprise Office, Visual Artists Ireland, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and more. I am registered as a mentor with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and always happy to help anyone I can.
And finally, never underestimate the power of baked goods- my infamous Oreo cheesecake has opened many doors for me!
For further information, visit www.longwillstudio.com or follow @longwillstudio on Instagram and Facebook
Read more
Meet The Maker: Lisa Daly of This Is You
Meet the Maker: Fiona Foley of Pear Shaped Studio
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Sophie Longwill, I live in Cork city and have a studio in the National Sculpture Factory. I grew up in Co Kildare surrounded by farmland.
Although we didn’t have a proper farm as such, we always kept a few animals over the years.
My favourites were the Gloucester Old Spot pigs that were gorgeous and very mischievous.
My dad was very involved with the farming community – his first company Magenta Direct was a mail order catalogue for farming supplies, while his second company LW Associates provided integrated marketing for many large agribusinesses.
Since I was a child, I have dreamed of one day finding a home with space for a llama and alpaca farm
I’ve always loved the countryside and love getting out of the city to find inspiration in nature. Since I was a child, I have dreamed of one day finding a home with space for a llama and alpaca farm.
Why and when did you set up your business?
I set up my business in 2019 after moving to Cork.
Some of my family had moved here a few years previously and after my studio in Dublin was destroyed in a fire, I figured it was a good time for a fresh start.
Sophie's Nubivagant (Cloud Wanderer) series are sculptural glass vessels, inspired by beautiful skies and mindful moments.
I had a wealth of knowledge and skills relating to art and design having exhibited my work professionally since the age of 15, plus years of training at Grennan Mill Craft School and the National College of Art and Design.
I had trouble finding a job that would maximise all of my skills so I decided the best way to reach my full potential was to hire myself!
Can you explain your process?
Although my work has taken many different forms, a common thread running through every series is trying to capture fleeting moments of everyday life.
I love to transform ordinary or overlooked parts of life and add a little sense of magic and wonder, because that is how I see the world.
My current series is called Nubivagant (Cloud Wanderer) and is inspired by beautiful skies, lucid dreams. I start with lots of photos, both my own and contributions from friends and family.
I was getting up at dawn for weeks to study the light when I began this series, which was a major challenge because I am not a morning person!
Sophie Longwill's 'Modern Love Letter Series' presents a modern take on the traditional love letter.
Once I’m ready, I gather all my research materials around me and make watercolour paintings to understand the layers of colours. Then I begin making the glass sculptures.
My glass process incorporates elements from my background in printmaking.
I make plaster moulds that are flat like a printing plate and carve in my designs. Instead of ink, powdered glass is pushed into the crevices and once fired, the lines are raised.
Layers of coloured glass powders are built up and fired in the kiln to make delicate discs.
I love this way to capture mark making and bring my drawings to life, an idea you can hold
These discs are then fired again and allowed to gently fold in the kiln, resulting in vessels that are like windows to other realms holding the serenity of the natural world.
I love this way to capture mark making and bring my drawings to life, an idea you can hold. A sensitivity to colour and surface texture is vital to my work.
What is it about your business that brings you joy?
So much about my business brings me joy, even when it gets really challenging, I’m so proud of what I have achieved so far.
I get a lot of happiness from sending my glass around the world for exhibitions
I love to experiment with new materials and processes and once I’m making, I get completely absorbed in the materials and following the flow of creativity.
I get a lot of happiness from sending my glass around the world for exhibitions, especially if I get to travel with it.
I was lucky to get over to Liverpool for my recent solo show “In the Window” at the Bluecoat Display Centre and at the same time I had a piece in the International Biennale of Glass exhibition in Bulgaria, which had a great online portal to meet virtually with other artists and people visiting the show.
That is all I have ever wanted in life, to bring beauty and joy to people’s lives through art
Connecting with people brings me so much joy. I love chatting away with everyone on social media and it really thrills me when somebody loves my work enough to have it in their life.
Hearing my clients’ feedback about how the work brings them so much happiness is the best feeling in the world. That is all I have ever wanted in life, to bring beauty and joy to people’s lives through art.
What are your hopes for your business for 2022?
I’m going big! I’m working on a project at the moment thanks to an award from the Arts Council that combines my glass sculptures with micro-computers to make a kinetic sculpture that will perform in response to the movements of the audience.
I’m very excited about it, so I hope I can pull it off! It’s totally out of my comfort zone, but I really want to challenge myself this year to work on a larger scale and move toward installation work and public art so I am also applying for some big commissions.
I’m also hoping to get gallery representation so I am making a portfolio of my bespoke glass vessels and paintings.
I love to make artwork for people that is really unique and special to them
As always, I hope to keep growing my business and bringing joyful art to as many people as possible, so I’m hoping for more personal client commissions too as I love to make artwork for people that is really unique and special to them.
What is the best piece of advice you would give a start-up business?
Be kind to yourself. Sometimes things can take longer or go a totally different way than expected but it’s so worth it to do what you love every day. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.
There are so many invaluable resources from the Local Enterprise Office, Visual Artists Ireland, Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and more. I am registered as a mentor with the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland and always happy to help anyone I can.
And finally, never underestimate the power of baked goods- my infamous Oreo cheesecake has opened many doors for me!
For further information, visit www.longwillstudio.com or follow @longwillstudio on Instagram and Facebook
Read more
Meet The Maker: Lisa Daly of This Is You
Meet the Maker: Fiona Foley of Pear Shaped Studio
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