I saw Specimens from an Imaginary Voyage at Exeter Royal Albert Memorial Museum which is art made from glass that looks like real creatures but are actually imaginary and were created by the artist. I wanted to see them because they looked so real in the photograph on the website and I wanted to see them close up.

Specimens from an Imaginary Voyage was in Sladen’s Study which is room with a real starfish and sea urchin collection. They were in a glass cabinet as if they were real sea creatures. 

The artist was Steffen Dam. He creates glass works of art.

At first I couldn't believe they weren't real and then I realised they were made of glass. They were next to real specimens of sea creatures. They fit in with the rest of the display so at a glance you could easily be fooled into thinking they were real.  

I found the design of the different creatures interesting. They are all beautiful and strange but they look like they could really exist. I watched this video of the artist creating them.

He allowed the glass to do what it wanted to create these interesting shapes using imperfections in the glass.

My granddad was a glass blower and glass artist and all his work is very perfect and controlled whereas Steffen Dam’s work is more natural and uses all the imperfections and accidents which I haven't seen before. I've learnt that including mistakes and accidents could make my artwork more interesting and unique.

Yes, I enjoyed the way the creatures were designed.