Biography

During over thirty years of working with stained glass I have never ceased to be enthralled with the beauty of the medium, or to feel privileged to work in such a fascinating and rewarding trade. That feeling of elation when one stands back to view the finished piece on which one has so painstakingly laboured, brought to life by the ever-changing light, is reward of itself for the hours of careful toil

The beauty of glass is its ability to change the ambience of the environment in which it stands, through its effect on the passage of light; whether that be capturing and holding the light, to make the glass glow and sparkle, or colouring it and sending pools of sumptuous colour, constantly and subtly changing, into the building. Whether it’s an illuminated picture telling a story or a decorative abstract piece of glass design, the beauty of glass gladdens the heart.

Born and educated in Yeovil, Somerset, I attended Yeovil School and then Yeovil College, where I completed an Arts Foundation that fuelled my lifelong love of the arts and opened my eyes to the many forms and possibilities of artistic expression.

On completion of the course I moved to Stourbridge, West Midlands to study for a B.A. (Hons) Art and Design, Glass with Ceramics, ostensibly to continue my love of ceramics, but very soon the fascination of glass took over. Here I learned the skills and techniques of working with hot glass, from the traditional glassblowing with full lead crystal that is synonymous with the area, to the relatively new and exciting techniques of fusing and kiln-casting, taught by the influential Keith Cummings. Also I was able to try my hand at brilliant cutting and surface glass techniques such as sandblasting, etching and polishing.

I remained in the Black Country for several years after finishing college, where I worked as a freelance leaded light maker, for companies in Birmingham and the West Midlands. Here it was that I honed my glazing skills, cherry-picking tips and ideas from the various craftsmen with whom I came into contact.

In 1987 I moved to Bristol, where I was invited to head a stained glass department in a local family-run glass company. Working with craftsmen who had been through the traditional apprenticeship in stained glass production, I learned the final few tricks, wrinkles and disciplines to round off my understanding, appreciation and skills of the art of the leaded light maker.

A chance encounter at a life drawing class led me to make the acquaintance of the renowned stained glass artist Roy Coomber, FMGP.  Roy, whose work is celebrated internationally, is always helpful and courteous to any who seek advice or wishes to benefit from his vast knowledge of the art, and so it was that he agreed to teach me the art of glass painting and staining, becoming both my mentor and good friend of long standing. We established a good working relationship and, when he asked me to take on the responsibility of cutting the glass for his many large projects, both in the UK and USA; I used the opportunity as a springboard to setting up my own company in 1993.

Since that beginning I have been involved in a large variety of projects from the humblest in situ leaded light repair to the design, production and installation of new bespoke custom stained glass windows;  from single decorative windows to the restoration or re-creation of complete glazing schemes and have been privileged to work on many listed and historic buildings. Whatever the project, I always approach it with a care and empathy for the needs of the customer and the integrity of the building and space in which the work will sit. The level of craftsmanship and the quality of the work produced is always of paramount importance to me.