The Swifts Journey · 2017—present
Follow one recurring form from an intimate drawing about childhood and learning to paintings, models and monumental cast-glass sculpture.
Begin the journeyCurated body of work
The archive is organised by artistic development rather than product categories—making visible how a private observation is tested, translated and remade through material.
Made after entering fatherhood and working in primary education, the first studies use simplified birds to symbolise children at play. The image became a way to think about resilience, learning and the barriers children overcome.
Seven kilograms of emerald, copper-blue and citrine casting crystal meet carved cherry wood. Light shifts the piece from solid presence to an illuminated inner landscape.
585 × 300 × 300 mm · June 2025
Seven kilograms of indigo, cobalt and citrine cast crystal glass are held by gravity within a power-carved, sealed and gilded willow-timber base. Relief textures produced by the casting mould are finished with indigo gilding wax.
October 2020 · Collection of the Hejian City Glass Museum, China
Swaledale Swifts is a one-of-a-kind collector sculpture by Tim Jago Morris, bringing together cast crystal glass, hand-carved chestnut wood and stone selected from Swaledale in the North Yorkshire Dales.
The swifts are individually cast in crystal glass using cobalt blue, grey, copper blue, lime green and citrine.
The sculpture is anchored into Swaledale stone selected from the landscape where Tim first watched swifts darting over the moorland. A recess was carved into the stone to receive the chestnut form, uniting glass, timber and stone in one substantial sculptural composition.
77 cm high × 38 cm wide × 17 cm deep
Date created July 2025
Hundreds of studies record the thoughts behind the major works: not simply preliminaries, but an intimate map of decisions, discoveries and recurring forms.
A growing digital catalogue
Archive index · first release
A growing catalogue of finished work, studies and material evidence. Each record is intended to preserve the relationship between the preliminary thought and the resolved artwork.
TJ–SW–001
An early work on paper in which repeated birds, layered marks and fields of colour begin the visual language of the Swifts journey.
TJ–SW–002
Original image and painting
TJ–PRO–001
Model, surface test and sculptural translation
TJ–PRO–002
Documenting the quantities of glass crystals needed to form representations of Swifts at 845 degrees centigrade.
TJ–PRO–003
Crystal placement, colour trials and cast-glass forms emerging from the one-use mould process.
TJ–PRO–004
Two green wax forms sculpted with details of swifts fluidly moving throughout the object. At this point it is a physical manifestation of imagination. The Wax is then steamed-out from within the refractory mould.
TJ–PRO–005
The one-use refractory casting mould is built from a mixture of plaster of Paris, molochite and fibreglass. Reinforced with wire and ceramic fibre blanket to withstand the 22 day kiln cycle where 7kg of coloured glass crystal becomes molten at 850°C to fill the Swift form.
TJ–PRO–006
Using a refined mixture of pigments and Danish oils to colour the wood. Scorching the timber to achieve charcoal black, which is gilded with Treasure Gold gilding wax.
TJ–PRO–007
In February 2021, the Hejian City Glass Museum in China purchased the Indigo Swifts Lamp for its collection following China’s 5th Hejian Glass Art Competition.
TJ–SW–003
The complete painting, shown as the principal artwork image in the Halfway Home Atelier collection.
TJ–SC–001
Seven kilograms of emerald, copper-blue and citrine casting crystal meet carved cherry wood in a sculpture transformed by changing light.
TJ–SC–002
Seven kilograms of indigo, cobalt and citrine cast crystal glass held by gravity within a power-carved, sealed and gilded willow-timber base.
TJ–SC–003
Individually cast crystal-glass swifts, hand-carved chestnut wood and stone selected from Swaledale in the North Yorkshire Dales.
TJ–SW–004
Mixed media, hot wax, watercolour, inks and graphite on paper
TJ–SW–005
A vivid colour study exploring movement, contrast and the repeated silhouette of the swift.
TJ–SW–006
Created shapes out of colourful sticky back vinyl to compose an abstract of Swifts flying on my glass sunroof.
TJ–SW–007
Thinking about what the meaning is behind composing representations of the Swifts. Could these colours be formed into glass?
TJ–SW–008
digital representations of the Swifts drawn over a jpeg of the original canvas.
TJ–SW–009
digital representations of the subject I use to represent fatherhood and children's development through play.
TJ–SW–010
Laser engraved wood block printing onto damp 180gsm cartridge paper.
TJ–SW–011
Laser engraved wood block printing onto damp 180gsm cartridge paper.
TJ–SW–012
Laser engraved wood block printing onto damp 180gsm cartridge paper.
TJ–SW–013
Laser engraved wood block printing onto damp 180gsm cartridge paper.
TJ–SW–014
Laser engraved wood block printing onto damp 180gsm cartridge paper.
TJ–SW–015
Reworking a laser-cut wood block print in Photoshop, the idea to make the subject appear in three dimensions when 3D glasses are worn.
TJ–SW–016
Laser engraved wood block printing onto damp 180gsm cartridge paper.
TJ–SW–017
A tonal study in green, recording the bird form through overlapping colour, line and gesture.
TJ–SW–018
A quieter work on paper examining the swift through restrained colour and spacious composition.
TJ–SW–019
Literally drawing digitally onto the scanned image of my laser-cut wood block print, Emerald Isle Swifts.
TJ–SW–020
A dark indigo study recording swift forms in flight through layered colour, texture and repeated gesture.
TJ–SW–021
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–022
A work on paper combining hot wax and purple ink, with vivid swift forms moving through layered colour and textured surface.
TJ–SW–023
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–024
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–025
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–026
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–027
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–028
A laser-cut Swift study on paper, exploring repeated form, colour and layered surface.
TJ–SW–029
Blue swift forms move through layered sunset tones in this richly textured work on paper.
This first release establishes the archive method. Further studies and major works will be added as their images, dimensions and histories are verified.
The practice
Tim Jago is an artist and educator working across drawing, painting, cast crystal glass, timber and stone. His work follows the emotional life of images as they move between two and three dimensions.
Born in California and based in the North East of England, he trained in glass casting and has worked with blown glass in Murano. His studio practice is powered by renewable energy.
Collectors · Curators · Collaborators
Use this form for artwork availability, loans, exhibitions, commissions or a studio visit. Your enquiry is addressed directly to Tim.