Meet the Maker
Linda Rossiter - Hard Edge glass art pioneer
I'm a UK glass artist, living and working in Skelmersdale, West Lancs.
I've been lucky enough to be a professional artist all my life, working in many different media.
I owe a big thanks to my indomitable Mum for getting me started so early on.
At sixteen I’d won a National Gallery 1st prize so I went on to study fine art in London.
I then moved on to Cornwall to focus on computer graphics & animation - a natural outlet for my love of both Art and Maths.
Mum, Tessa Waters with Linda in Rome 1979
National Gallery 1st prize
Video and Multimedia awards
By the 90s I was running my own video and animation business with my producer husband, Kevin. We acquired an international clientele quite quickly and ended up working for some quite amazing people around the World for the next 30 years.
On the way I was lucky enough to win 11 awards for work I’d produced, which unbelievably included both international and national awards.
It gives you a shock when you win an international award out of the blue, beating all those famous big names!
Silver clay work
Polymer clay work
Although the job was very creative, complete with wonderful days when we’d all “rage about the right shade of pink”, like everyone else I was always stuck in front of a screen.
To compensate and not go completely crazy, spare time was devoted to working physically with my hands, with paint, ink & pencil, fabric, polymer clay, silver clay and mosaics.
Then 10 years ago I was in Turin looking for a cheap restaurant to feed the kids, and quite by accident I discovered my first ever glass art shop, around the back of the old medieval university near the river.
It was a revelation. I didn’t know glass could do this. Until then I’d been all paint, clay, and silver metalwork.
Turin shopping arcade
It all started here
Such was the impact of stained glass art I immediately dropped everything and started working almost solely in glass, reeling under the impact of how glass and colour could combine to form such outrageously attractive art.
I started to design geometrically as this seemed the clearest best way to bring out the sheer thrill of the light, reflections and strong colours that make glass artwork so passionate and enjoyable, in the purest highest sense of the word.
I guess I was unconsciously paving the way for the Hard Edge glass art style of today, of which I’m proud to be a part.
In 2021, I finally became a full time glass artist, with a small kiln. Hooray!
Fortunately I live in quite a large house, so I had the available space to set up a proper glass workshop with an adjoining design & display studio. I even built a website shop by myself!
Glass workshop area
Linda Rossiter - Hard Edge glass artist
I also committed to my Hard Edge style with its bright coloured geometric designs which, even in its early days, did extraordinarily strange things.
For example, even before I’d ever sold a thing, an early glass video I posted got over 14 million video views in a week! I started seeing customers coming in from as far away as Calgary, Louisiana and New York.
I even get asked how to display my work. Take a look here to see some of the results!
I quickly outgrew my starter kiln, as I was driven to produce larger more powerful works, Another much larger kiln was quickly installed.
Another early habit I acquired was to record what I’m doing, so most days there’s usually a video to watch if you want to keep in touch with glass-art-as-it-happens.
Typically I reach 40,000 people per month which, for a naturally modest person, takes some coming to terms with tens of thousands of people staring at my stuff anytime night or day!
Popular Instagram videos showing Hard Edge glass
This brings out a natural and heartfelt thank you for all the people who’ve supported me, especially customers who’ve taken a chance and banked on me.
I’m very grateful. Thanks for listening.
If ever you want to commission a custom piece from me, this page is a great place to start.
Linda Rossiter 2023
