Julia Linstead

Julia Linstead lives and works in the Scottish Borders. She produces a range of unique glass pieces, engraved with classic flowering designs, based on animal and plant themes. Her approach to decoration is influenced by the fluid nature of the glass and the way in which natural light illuminates the subject, creating atmosphere and mood.

Each piece is blown to her specification in 24% lead crystal by glassblower Jane Charles. The work is usually ‘cased’ meaning it is blown as a sandwich of coloured and clear glass. The piece is then covered with a film of plastic, the design drawn on this and then sandblasted, etching the design into the glass. Varying depths of engraving result in differing intensities of colour and further effects can be achieved by cutting into both sides of the glass. This is a simple description of what can be a fairly complicated process, the end result being a unique and beautiful object.