Favourites from previous courses: left 2018 shown against the flint walls of the house, right 2019 (scale shown is on the lightbox).
The course I teach at West Dean College starts with an illustrated talk, of which the most popular section is the gallery of past students’ work. Although I aim to show a range of techniques and approaches to the craft, inevitably the panels I choose to show are the ones I like best. My two previous favourites are shown above, they are similar in their modular style which means the panels are fun to make as you can change your mind about which piece of glass goes where. On this year’s course, just completed, there were three students working in three different ways whose work I loved.
Six pieces of enamelled glass by Ursula Yeates.
I’ve just inherited some glass enamels for students’ use - just as well as Ursula really lays it on thick! This time she painted at least thirty smallish glass pieces with opaque and transparent enamels, experimenting with spectacular results. She leaded some of these pieces together, but they are also good enough on their own - the top middle (above) at only fifteen cms tall, is amazing. All this painting inspired the group of students to use more paint in their stained glass panels than they usually do. Despite my talk with historical examples, I find it hard to convince people that the best stained glass windows are actually also painted.
Angela covered her pieces of glass with black iron oxide and drew into it with a stick in the traditional way. At the bottom and top of her tree you find a fox and a bird’s nest which are both drawn so confidently, while for the leaves she drew on a large sheet of green glass and then cut it up. The whole panel is lovely, the details (below) show the freedom in her drawing.
Painted details from stained glass panel by Angela Ibbs.
The last set of panels, just some of the work that Katie did in five days, combine drawing in black iron oxide, enamel painting and pattern making. The sea urchin panel (below left) at about twenty cms. tall, was her sample piece and so good that I can imagine an enormous window like this, with shapes and patterns repeating. On her house plant panel (below left) she used some of this scratching off technique, but also sandblasting and painting with enamels on pieces of glass cut to a very satisfying plan. These last two students were absolute stained glass beginners. All of them have inspired me, now back in my own studio, with the joy of making.
Two panels by Katie Bebbington, left sea urchins, right house plants.