Peter Russell:

Biography of a Master Craftsman

Peter Russell spent seven years as an apprentice hand engraver at one of the top firms in London’s prestigious Hatton Garden in the 1950’s.  So strict and thorough was his apprenticeship that he wasn’t allowed to actually engrave an item for a cusomer until the fourth year of his studies! Peter went on to create a successful engraving business for over forty  years  that continues to thrive today.

Peter’s expertise in the engraving trade and highly-specialised hand engraving has provided Peter Russell Engravers with its excellent reputation.  From a business point of view, Peter can engrave objects that no machine can, such as freehand designs and lettering,  specializing in hand engraving inside rings and bangles.  However,  it is in his artwork that Peter’s craftsmanship becomes apparent, particularly when his choice of materials extended to include glass as well as gold and silver.

A member of The Guild of Glass Engravers, Peter has won many awards for his work on cased glass (layered coloured glass).  This slow and meticulous work is a labour of love for Peter, but it could hardly have gone unnoticed, as the pictures of his work demonstrate. Amongst other awards he has won the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Award at the Castle Howard exhibition in 1995 and numerous awards at Goldsmith's Hall, London for his Cameo Cutting skills.

He has also completed various commissions for Rolls Royce and, possibly most impressively, was invited in 1997 to 10 Downing Street.  The Prime Minister’s headquarters holds the best of British art and craftsmanship but the green cased goblet engraved with the Royal Crest that Peter engraved was the first piece of glassware ever to be accepted there.

   We hope that you enjoy these images of some of Peter’s work.

   Click on each image for a closer look.

1997 - Accepted by 10 Downing Street. Commended at Goldsmith's Hall Green Cased Goblet 8" Made by Neil Wilkin Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell	Close up of the Green Cased Goblet (shown left)	Red Cased Goblet Intaglio engraved by Peter Russell
Commended at Goldsmith's Hall Red cased 10" vase Intaglio engraved	Red Cased 6" bowl Intaglio engraved	1995 - Winner of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers Award at Castle Howard Blue Cased Vase 8" Intaglio engraved
Eight Jazz stars including the Middle Eight of a well known jazz tune 8" Red Cased Bowl Intaglio engravedLeeds City crest on 8" green cased goblet	LEEDS CREST Intaglio engraved In Civic Hall Leeds	Close-up of green cased goblet (as shown left)
1996 - Awarded 1st Prize in Cameo Engraving Section of Craftsmanship Design Awards at Goldsmith's Hall, London. Ship interior on outside, porthole pierced with sailing ship on other side Double Cased Goblet 8" blue on red Intaglio engraved	Close up of ship/porthole goblet (shown left)	Diamond drill engraving on outer edge: 'and mid their choirs unroofed by selfish rage the warbling wren shall find a leafy cage'. Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds in centre - stipple by diamond point. l
Durham crest on goblet Intaglio engraved	Harewood House crest on goblet Intaglio engraved	Seahorse Crystal Pendant Intaglio engraved
'The Predators - Cat & Magpie' 8" Red cased straight vase Intaglio engraved and pierced	'The Predators - Cat & Magpie' A piece of work such as this takes approximately one thousand hours to design, engrave and pierce	Engraved for exhibition at York Minster in 2011 Depicting 'God sending the Devil into Hell'.

         

        

Peter Engraving a bottle of wine for Valentines day at Harvey Nichols in Leeds February 2016