Artist

Videos

BBC South Today feature about Tinker Tailor stained glass. Three and a half minutes long.

Stained Glass Artist. Approximately two minutes long.

The Art of Stained Glass. Approximately two minutes long.

Labours of the Month, Godalming Museum. Approximately two minutes long. 

Tinker Tailor and Other Tales in Stained Glass, Stained Glass Museum webinar. Approximately 50 minutes long.

Artist’s Statement

Drawing is at the heart of my work. I use it to describe the world I see and imagine. Stained glass is the medium I choose to express myself in. The glorious colours and light of stained glass fill me with delight. I can achieve intricate detail with painting and engraving techniques that involve the use of a kiln. My work takes time, patience and the highest quality materials to produce.

Since winning the Surrey Artist of the Year award in 2014 my focus has shifted from commissioned work to exploring stories that I want to share. My Seven Ages of Man series is the story of my father’s life interwoven with Shakespeare’s words and the yearly cycle of a grape vine. The panels have been exhibited at Strawberry Hill House, the birthplace of the Gothic Revival, and at the Stained Glass Museum in Ely Cathedral.

The changing seasons are a recurring theme. My depiction of the Labours of the Months, now in Godalming Museum, is a contemporary take on a medieval subject. The panels were purchased with a grant from the V&A.

I am rooted in the rich historical tradition of stained glass. It is challenging, fascinating and exciting to work with the same techniques and materials that have been used for nearly a thousand years.

Education

I originally studied Fine Art at Coventry, and specialised in printmaking, particularly etchings and later, linocuts. Having graduated in 1987 I set up as a printmaker, but when I discovered stained glass in an evening class a couple of years later I was instantly enthralled.

By the age of 30, I had a Post Graduate in stained glass from Central St Martins, and an M.A. in Public Art from Chelsea. I set up my first stained glass studio with help from the Princes Youth Business Trust in 1995. Almost immediately I was given a commission for a school in Sunderland, and I have worked to commission ever since.

My studies continue as I learn from other artists. I am an Associate of the British Society of Master Glass Painters and serve on their Council. To learn more about stained glass I regularly attend lectures and conferences where I sketch windows at every opportunity. We have recently launched a new and informative website designed by Windmill Creative (who built this website) and it is packed with pictures and information about stained glass. www.bsmgp.org.uk

 

The Studio
1 Furze Lane
Godalming
Surrey
GU7 3NW

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