When people visit the studio where we paint our glass, they often ask me if we also make our glass.
In the old days, I explained that, no, we don’t make our own.
Instead (or so I used to say), we journey to a glass blower near Birmingham who still blows those subtle tints of antique glass we like to use.
One of the biggest obstacles every glass painter faces – you, me, Stephen, everyone – is getting your paint just right.
It’s all too easy to try to rush this task and make mistakes.
And one reason someone might rush the mixing is because they misjudge the time which the professional takes.
They imagine the professional gets it right in ‘no time’.
What really happens is, the professional might certainly rush the painting (because they can).
But they will never rush the mixing and adjusting (because no one can and also paint glass beautifully).
The editor of ‘Artists & Illustrators’ asked us for an article about the challenges and joys of stained glass painting.
Now his readers already use brushes with considerable skill. But, of course, they work on paper or canvas etc. Not glass.
We had just 500 words or so. Here’s the article we wrote for them.
Your video for today begins with a shocking palette; it’s the kind of mess I’d never normally suggest you leave.
In my defence, there’s not much gum Arabic in this particular batch of paint, so it hadn’t dried that hard at all. Also, it wasn’t long since I’d last used it – just an hour or so (not overnight). And that’s why, as you see, it doesn’t take me long to get my paint and palette exactly as I want them.
It’s always a question of knowing the consequences of things you do. I reckoned I could get away with it. And I was right.