ELIN ISAKSSON

Glass artist Elin Isaksson speaks to Dominique Corlett about the challenges of her medium and finding inspiration in the natural world

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Forms in nature have always inspired the work of Swedish-born glass artist Elin Isaksson.

Growing up in the north of Sweden, close to the border with Lapland, days spent in snowy landscapes ice fishing or cross-country skiing created an affinity for shapes and colours at the glacial end of the spectrum. And when, as a teenager studying at art school, she discovered glass, the medium spoke to her. I had an instant love for glass and knew that this was what I wanted to do.

Today, based in Scotland and dividing her time between teaching and her own glass-making practice, the Homo Faber-listed artist is perhaps best known for her stunning dew drop ornaments. These forms precisely mimic the shape of a droplet of water as it hangs from a leaf or a branch. Individually blown in the garden studio of her home in Dunblane, it might seem that these glass bubbles would easily form in that perfect shape through gravity, but this is far from the truth. 'It's actually quite tricky to achieve that simple look,' says Elin. 'Sometimes the neck gets pulled too long, or the body is too squat. It's always a challenge to get that perfect drop.'