Elin Isaksson

Glassblower

Trapped fragments of gold

Elin makes handblown tactile glass sculptures in her studio in Scotland
She is inspired by her early memories of Sweden and by the Scottish landscape
Rudi Gritch, Simone Moore and Dante Marioni are a few of her mentor master glassblowers

“Glass is a magical but difficult material to tame,” says Elin Isaksson. The challenge to manipulate glass is one that the Swedish artist was more then happy to take up. She discovered glassblowing at 18 years old on a one-day glass studio visit in north Sweden. Pursuing her passion Elin began her training at Orrefors Glass School in Sweden and for her BA (hons) and Masters in Glass and Applied Art she went to the Edinburgh College of Art. Now based in Dunblane, in central Scotland, Elin makes straightforward forms, heavily influenced by her early Scandinavian training. "I enjoy the making process as there is no time to think. You just do,” she shares. She loves making pieces that make her customers happy and thrives on teaching glassblowing techniques to students at her workshop.

Interview

Nowadays how difficult it is to become a glassblower?: In the UK it is now very tricky to practise the skills required, since many glass facilities and colleges are closing due to the high running costs of maintaining glass schools. You have to find a glass studio that will be willing to invest in you so you can learn the craft from the basics.
Who were your mentors?: I was trained by several master glassblowers including Allan Guillot in France and David Kaplan in Scotland. I attended masterclasses with Rudi Gritch in Italy and Simon Moore and Dante Marioni at Northlands Creative Glass Centre in Scotland.
Do you master any specific techniques?: I combine blown work with the sand-casting technique, using glass shards, coloured frits, gold leaf and stringers to make a collage which is then fused into in molten glass.
What inspires you?: My surroundings, the Scottish landscape and early memories from Sweden, rock formations, water and ice textures. I enjoy making simple unfussy beautiful forms heavily influenced by my early Scandinavian training in the material.

Elin Isaksson is a master artisan: she began her career in 2000 and she started teaching in 2012