Shoppers looking for an artistic and unique addition to their holiday décor should consider Nova Scotia’s Artful Cut Engraved Glass. “I do wine glasses, whiskey, Christmas ornaments, suncatchers, crystal necklaces, all of those things,” says owner and visual artist Jill Quinn Babcock. “I’ve been doing art as a business for years.” Every one of Babcock’s hand-engraved glass and crystal pieces are unique. She sells her products across North America and in Europe. “Everybody calls it glass etching but it’s glass engraving,” says Babcock. She draws on glass with a Sharpie then cuts in designs with micromotor and hand pieces that include hundreds of different bits made from diamond, stone and silicon. She says they all bring different levels of shading to the glass. “Which is extremely similar to when I paint, which is why I like it,” says Babcock, who is a member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour. She says she works primarily in water colour with her portrait business. Babcock’s work will be featured in the gift suites for the stars at this year’s Golden Globe Awards where she says she will feature a small display of her high-end work. “I want to absolutely push East Coast, Nova Scotia and Canada proud,” she says. “I’m getting to bring Nova Scotia to Hollywood.” For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
