Dale Chihuly

I work for a company that has a large base in Seattle and whenever I mentioned glass to a Seattle colleague for the first time I can be sure the next two words out of their mouth will be "Dale Chihuly"!

Chihuly at the Bellagio

Chihuly is an amazing glass artist from Washington, who has taken art glass to a whole new level imho. Using blown glass and explosive bright colours, Chihuly and his team produce sculptural and fantastical pieces of glass art.

I'm pleased to have seen two of his most famous pieces in the flesh: his 'Persians' glass ceiling in the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas and his amazing chandelier in the rotunda of the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London. My photos of both on this page don't do the pieces judges.

Chihuly at the V&A

His bright colours are a trademark of his work, and one of the reasons I am so drawn to it. In fact, and I hope he doesn't mind!, I would love to steal one of his answers from the FAQs on his website. When asked which is his favourite colour, his answer, which I agree with 100%, is "I like to say I’ve never met a color I didn’t like."

Looks like my next stop needs to be Seattle to see more of his work - I am reliably informed there's lots of it there!

You can find out more about the man and his artwork on his website at www.chihuly.com

Also, check out this interview he did with the Telegraph last year. He's definitely a guest I would like at my fantasy dinner party!