External Hopes Centrepiece

When Moira Hopes moved to her impressive new-build home in Berkshire towards the end of 2017 she wanted to give it a personal touch and some character and bring her garden to life. 

“The local gym I attend has an annual art and design event and I decided to pop in on the off chance one day,” she says. “To be honest most of the work was pretty average, but I suddenly came across this amazing glass work. It was completely different and I’d never seen anything quite like it before.”

Immediately taken with Carrie Anne Funnell Glass Art, Moira bought some pieces of wall art and commissioned a centrepiece bowl for her unusually long dining table.

It was the start of a remarkable journey.

“It’s so original and so clever, and Carrie is so talented in using her artistic ability to give you exactly what you want…”

Moira Hopes

Working with her friend and landscape gardener Gaila Adair, Moira transformed her garden with a trio of three glass art columns that echo the colours of the nearby acers – and commissioned Carrie to produce a quite extraordinary garden feature.

The concept came to fruition by bringing together different areas of expertise to form the collaboration. Understanding what was required at every stage and working in synergy led to a highly successful outcome.

Standing over 7ft high, encased in a stainless steel frame, and overlooking the garden it’s a stunning work of art that changes as the sun moves around the sky. It’s completely unique, totally captivating, and it’s no wonder passers-by frequently peer over the hedge to admire it.

“One of my daughters used it as a backdrop for some modelling work she was doing,” says Moira, “but she was quite upset that people were more interested in the artwork behind her than her tie-dyed fashions!”