Stained Glass Making - The Glass Gallery, Consett
Stained glass has been used for thousands of years, beginning with the Ancient Romans and Egyptians, who produced small objects made from coloured glass. Stained glass windows in Britain can be traced back to the 7th century, with some early examples still found in our churches and monasteries. The oldest stained glass in the world is in St Paul's, Jarrow. Stained glass increased in popularity during the middle ages, and by the 12th century, the practice had become much more sophisticated. The Rose Window in our local cathedral in Durham was originally glazed in the 15th century but much was removed in the late 18th century by an architect, James Wyatt, nicknamed the destroyer. In the 19th and 20th century, although it was still used in religious buildings, coloured glass began to be used in private houses as decoration in doors and windows or even as panels that can be hung like pictures.
The Glass & Art Gallery in Consett has a workshop where a wide variety of works made of coloured glass are designed and manufactured. Founded by Maralyn O'Keefe and her husband Ron, 25 years ago, they have made windows for churches, fanlights, doors and windows for houses, art panels and smaller commemorative pieces for individuals. They also repair and restore existing windows. One of their largest commissions was to renovate all of the windows of a cathedral in Lagos, Nigeria. Their work can also be found as far afield as the Canary Islands, Italy and Ireland amongst others. Maralyn still produces pieces but is stepping back a little so her son Tim is taking the reins and Bridget Hughes, who has been with the studio for over 25 years, makes most of the glass works.
Watching the process of renovating a leaded window, it was remarkable to see how the techniques of those mediaeval craftsmen were still being used almost unchanged. But modern techniques have also been developed, we saw a digital design done on a computer, screen-printed onto glass using a type of enamel, and then fused onto a glass panel in the kiln. It is also possible to fuse photographs into the glass using a similar technique.
The Glass Gallery is another example of a company from Consett producing work that is renowned over the world and we can be proud of that connection.
More details can be found on their Facebook page - The Glass and Art Gallery
Watching the process of renovating a leaded window, it was remarkable to see how the techniques of those mediaeval craftsmen were still being used almost unchanged. But modern techniques have also been developed, we saw a digital design done on a computer, screen-printed onto glass using a type of enamel, and then fused onto a glass panel in the kiln. It is also possible to fuse photographs into the glass using a similar technique.
The Glass Gallery is another example of a company from Consett producing work that is renowned over the world and we can be proud of that connection.
More details can be found on their Facebook page - The Glass and Art Gallery