Header Image—detail of Mercury Window

personal work

Stained Glass

Stained glass did not come easy. It was in many ways inimical to my nature– precise, exacting, disciplined, indirect, demanding both skill and patience. I am not naturally a very skilful person,– in fact I am probably quite dispraxic. I had always envied people who could, say- turn the key in a lock, skilfully transfer something held in the right hand to the left, possibly using their teeth, give the door a gentle nudge with a knee and slide in. I would always have to drop whatever I was holding, the key was always the wrong way around and I would usually have to unlock and lock the door several times before gaining entry.

Art and Craft Interface

What is the essential difference between craft and art? This is not easy. Mankind has had thousands of years when the distinction was more or less irrelevant. As I have posited; every human activity, whether it be tool-making, artistic or ceremonial, is at heart ‘creative’.

Anticipation

Over the years, as I have moved more and more into commissioned work, there has been a subtle shift in my design process. At first there was no great difference between my art works, drawings and paintings, and the sketches. Then slowly and almost imperceptibly my whole focus was changed. In order to retain my freshness and spontaneity I had to somehow ‘withdraw’ from the preparatory work, so that I could give the piece my all at the end.

The Mourne Grange Windows

In between my building, decorating and maintenance activities, I began to work on the Mourne Grange windows. My Father came over from Ireland and stayed for a while. We went and bought stained glass together from a place in Gloucester. Stained glass was going through a trendy popular faze, and there were lots of companies […]

The Zodiac Windows

The Zodiac Windows were commissioned by Ruskin Mill in 2005 for the Glass House Centre in Stourbridge. This had been Stewart Crystal Country and when they packed up, Ruskin Mill moved in. The windows represent a three-foldness of Cosmos, Elements and Man. As well as being an all-encompassing theme, it is an actual realisation of […]

The Morton-in-the-Marsh Lamps

Thrown into the middle of my marble bangings was another big commission, the Morton-in-the-Marsh lamps. Why I got short-listed for this job I have no I idea, It was my only significant foray into the ‘normal’ world, but like everything I’ve done had no direct follow-ons. The offices of the Cotswold District Council were being […]

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