There was something secret and mysterious about glassblowing when I started and there was no market at all in the UK for glass art. When I encountered it, in the USA in the 1960s, I immediately felt this new medium under my skin. I love its spontaneity, the limitless potential, the possibility to reinvent it completely.

My inspiration can spring from a natural detail – such as an ordinary pebble – but my work can also be much more political and subversive. I was one of the first artists with an environmentally conscious attitude, such as in my 1970s series called Please keep off the grass.

I profoundly love the material itself and the adventurous process, which are the key aspects for anyone approaching glass. My key talent is collaborating with people who contribute to what I do: the people in my studio are the best in the world!

Glassblowing demands enormous dedication and the working is extremely expensive, especially the hot studio, so many people give up. If you work in London, you have to sell a lot to survive. But it is worth it!