Temple artist shows her glass by opening her home for Fringe

For this free exhibition from August 2-26 (10am-6pm), Alison will open her studio in a converted church, which has been her home and workplace for 40 years. Alison has an international reputation for her work in glass and music. From small intimate work to large architectural projects, she is represented worldwide in public and private collections such as the V&A Museum, The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, The Alexander Tutsek Foundation in Munich and Corning Museum of Glass in New York.

Alison is looking forward to opening her doors again, two years after her first home Edinburgh Fringe exhibition.

She said: “It’s really to let people see all the wide possibilities that you have with glass engraving.

“I found people actually bought a lot last time. But it also gives people ideas for future commissions for special occasions or architectural situations.

“I think people like to see things in a domestic situation rather than an exhibition. It gives them an idea of how it would look in their home.”

Alison combines ancient engraving methods with modern techniques and lighting technology to explore contemporary subjects.

She said: “I do small intimate pieces of engraved glass and I also do larger architectural projects. The pieces in this show are very striking. It’s all engraved glass. Some of it is coloured, and some of it has got LED lighting in it as well. I use new lighting, which works with the old technique of engraving. It’s quite nice using old and new techniques together.

“My prices go from a couple of hundred pounds up to several thousand pounds. It just depends on the piece of glass.

“I will be displaying around 30-40 pieces, which is about two years worth of work. It’s a very time consuming art I do so it’s takes a long time to work up to an exhibition.”

Alison has even offered to pick visitors up from Gorebridge Train Station to see her work! She said: “We had a large number of people that came out from Edinburgh last time. We were really struck by how many people came. I think some people like to get out of Edinburgh as it’s so crowded.

“We have got quite a lot of space given it’s a converted church. It’s got some lovely spaces in it which are great for showing the glass in.

“People came by car mostly, but they can come on the train to Gorebridge, we can pick them up if they phone us in advance. Some people walk from the station. If you get the weather it’s a beautiful walk.”

Given Fiona’s husband Robin Morton is a member of Scottish-Irish folk band Boys of the Lough, the couple are used to having a busy home.

She said: “I have my studio here – which is the converted church in Temple, which dates from 1832, opposite the old ruined 14th century church.

“We have used it as a home and studio for many years now.

“It’s also been a recording studio here. So we are used to people coming and going. We are very happy to welcome people in our home. And people like to see what we have done to this unusual building.

“With this exhibition I just want to let people see my work and hopefully inspire them to have ideas of glass sculptures in the future.”