How it all started

Like many artists, my appetite for stained glass came later in life.  No epiphany telling me to change the direction of my life, something much more mundane.

My Mother had taken classes to make stained glass more than 25 years ago.  When she passed away suddenly, I cleared her house and packed up her belongings.  A lot of her things were stored away until one day, many years later, I felt strong enough to deal with everything.  When I came across the tools, equipment and glass I decided either to “get rid” or “try my hand”.
 

When I first started to make stained glass art I fell in love with the variety, textures and colours of the glass and how light brings a piece to life.  Not restricted to historic buildings and ecclesiastical windows, stained glass can be enjoyed by everyone in any setting.
 

I’ve developed my skills and abilities over the years using traditional techniques in the Tiffany style to create beautiful pieces of artwork. Since then I have extended the scope and also do leaded glass work.

When I first began, some creations originated from purchased patterns.  Others…well I go through a lot of greaseproof paper in my design process.  When committing my ideas into a useable design I like to get an idea of the piece both with and without light as the effects can be dramatically different.

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​The Tiffany method I use for most pieces is the same one developed for Tiffany lamps over a century ago. Every piece of glass is cut by hand, ground to fit its neighbours exactly, wrapped in copper foil, soldered, cleaned and polished. It is slow, deliberate work - hours in every piece -and it is precisely that slowness that makes each finished piece one of a kind. For larger panels I also work in traditional leaded glass.

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Some of the most meaningful pieces I make are commissions: memorials, pet portraits, wedding and anniversary gifts, pieces built around a person’s story. If you have an idea - even a rough one - I would genuinely love to hear it.