A few weeks ago I organised a socially distanced photoshoot for my men’s jumpers using my dad, Guy, as a model. We decided the best way to help him feel relaxed would be to take the photos at his house (although not inside it due to Covid restrictions), where we could use his garden and stained glass workshop and still stay at safe distances.

Spending time there reminded me that being in his workshop watching dad at his craft was very much part of my childhood. I loved watching him get every piece of glass exactly the right shape and fit them together. the precision and attention to detail is something I’ve always hugely admired, and while my craft might be very different, I think that attention to detail and the care that goes into finishing pieces is something I’ve inherited.

After posting a few photos of dad in his workshop, I had a few people ask to see more of his stained glass work and find out more about it, so I’ve asked him some questions, and here you go!

Flora : How did you first get into stained glass?

Guy: I got into it more or less by chance over 30 years ago. I started to do an evening class in stained glass work, then shortly after whilst 'in-between jobs' I was introduced to Patrick Ross Smith by the friend of a friend: Patrick ran a commercial stained glass studio and was looking to take another worker on in his business.

I worked with Patrick for 5 years, learning on the job. The bulk of our work was rebuilding church windows, but also with some work on new windows designed by Patrick, commemorative church windows or panels for civic spaces.  We were up and down ladders on site, removing or refitting windows, with longer periods in between in the studio building or restoring and re-building panels.  We worked on windows all over Scotland: St Mary's Cathedral Edinburgh, Aberdeen Sheriff Court House, Stornoway Parish Church, Iona Abbey, to name a few.

After parting ways with Patrick and moving into other work (I've recently retired from 23 years in social work) I've always had workshop space and carried on with my own glass work.

I do a range of different types of glasswork for people: design and build new commissions; build replica panels to match existing ones; restore and rebuild panels; build new panels that are reproductions of existing designs (e.g. of  Mackintosh designs); make smaller designed pieces for hanging in windows.

Flora: Can you tell us a bit about the making process and what’s involved?

Guy: All the pieces are made with traditional leaded glass techniques and materials, where the glass pieces are held together by lengths of H cross-sectioned lead came.

What's involved? To build a new commission, from the design brief a design has to be created and agreed, and then the different colours and textures of glass have to be selected; a 'cut line' is drawn up from the design and the glass pieces are then cut out to size on this template; the whole panel is then built on top of the template.

To rebuild a panel, a tracing paper rubbing is taken of the panel (like a brass rubbing) and this gives you a picture/template of where all the lead lines are; the panel is then dismantled, discarding the old lead and carefully laying out the glass pieces in the original design; the glass is cleaned, and then the panel rebuild on top of the rubbing/template with new leads.

The build process for new or old panels is just the same: the design template (cut line or rubbing) is taped to the worktop; heavier out leads are fixed in place (if a rectangular panel then fixed with squared off battens); the pieces of glass and lead are then built up jigsaw-like, bit by bit, carefully moulding the lead round the glass pieces to follow the template and trimming it to fit, then fitting the next, and so on; once all the pieces are fitted, and measurements checked, all the butted lead joints are soldered, first on the front and then on the back of the panel, using tallow as a flux, sticks of tin/lead solder and a gas  soldering iron...all very old fashioned;  the excess tallow has to be brushed off with a stiff brush; then putty is forced between the glass and the lead on both sides of the panel, to seal the panel and make it water-tight (and it helps to stiffen the panel when the putty hardens); finally the excess putty is cleaned off, and the leads and glass polished with a brush to finish it. Phew, that's it.

Flora: What appeals to you so much about stained glass work?

Guy: I like the strong sense of line that comes from the lead cames.

I like the colours and textures of all the different glasses, and how they're illuminated with the light passing through them.

I like the architectural aspect of stained glass, an art/design piece but fitted into the window space of a building.

I get excited and anxious about new commissions, but enjoy the delight of customers when a panel is fitted.

I like the feeling of  rebuilding an old original panel, to keep it going for another lifetime.

I like working with the simple tools and techniques which have remained pretty much unchanged for hundreds of years.

I like that sense of both craft and design that go hand in hand.

I like having my apron on, quietly working away on a panel in the workshop, radio on..... 

As my dad mentioned, he’s recently retired, and has been enjoying a lot of gardening and cycling over the summer. So we managed to capture a little bit of that as well during the shoot!

If you would like to commission a stained glass panel, or having something in need of restoring, you’re welcome to get in touch with me and I can pass your details on.