Winter Spirits: A Study in Myth and Form

Winter Spirits began as a series of engravings exploring the figures and stories that emerge during the darker months of the year.

Rather than illustrating folklore directly, each design takes a familiar character or seasonal symbol and reduces it to a single engraved composition, prepared specifically for glass. Some are drawn from Scottish tradition, others from wider northern mythology, but all share the same starting point: the relationship between winter, landscape and light.

The Spirits

The collection centres on a group of recurring figures.

The Deer Mother appears as a life-giver and guide, her antlers extending into branches scattered with leaves and stars. Part creature, part symbol, she occupies the space between woodland and sky.

The Constellation Stag belongs to the night itself. His body is traced through stars and movement, suggesting a creature formed from the winter sky rather than the forest.

The Snow Hare is shown mid-leap beneath a crescent formed from interwoven snowflakes. Long associated with thresholds and transformation, the hare becomes a symbol of winter's changing seasons.

Aurora

At the centre of the collection sits Aurora.

Unlike the figurative designs, Aurora began as an attempt to capture movement rather than character. The northern lights have no fixed form, so the engraving was developed through layers of line, varying in height, spacing and direction to create the impression of shifting light.

Prepared as a continuous wrap-around composition, the design moves around the decanter without interruption, allowing the engraving to change as the vessel is turned and viewed from different angles.

Preparation and Engraving

Each design began as original artwork developed for sandblasted engraving.

Particular attention was given to how line, spacing and detail would behave once transferred to glass. Figures are often only partially described, allowing the viewer to discover elements gradually as light moves across the engraved surface.

Outcome

Together, the collection forms a series of winter archetypes rather than literal illustrations. Deer, hare, sea, mountain and sky become carriers of older stories, interpreted through engraving and prepared to sit quietly within the glass itself.