We’ve recently received our Fall issue of the Stained Glass Association of America magazine which features an article about our mentor Roy Coomber and an article about our studio and the work we’ve done here in Vancouver.

Here’s a copy of the article if you want a little coffee time read;

“John and Laura Gilroy have been involved in producing stained glass since 1985 when they began an intensive apprentice education in one of England’s oldest studios founded in 1788.  There they mastered the traditional skills used in creating new windows and in the preservation and restoration of existing windows.

This type of training, with skilled and experienced artists teaching younger artists, is unfortunately very rare now that many of the large and long established studios have closed. The Gilroys consider themselves fortunate to have been the last artists to have completed their training before James, Clark and Eaton of Bristol closed their doors for the last time.  John spent his entire apprenticeship there, primarily trained by Roy Coomber FMGP SGAA, while Laura continued her education with Roy when he left to establish his own studio; “we appreciated his willingness to share his knowledge and to give constructive criticism, and we admired his enthusiasm to try different techniques in the medium and to keep his art ‘fresh’ even after so many years in the business.”
The focus was glass painting - learning to create structure through line, and tonal values through contrast of light and shade, then learning to recreate and match many different styles for restoration, and progressing to painting new windows as well as cartooning and designing. Another influence was the late Dorothy and James Crombie ARCA, AMGP “whose abilities, knowledge and encouragement played a significant part in giving us a passion for the unique and demanding medium of stained glass”.

It was a natural progression in 2000 to become Gilroy Stained Glass and achieve their ambition of opening their own studio. They predominately supplied 30 other stained glass studios throughout Britain and the US with glass painting and artwork, as well as producing windows for a church furnishing company to export throughout the United States. They also undertook a variety of new commissions under their own studio name, ranging from residential and commercial projects through to ecclesiastical commissions for all religious denominations. They established a reputation as restoration experts, often called upon to meticulously restore windows so badly damaged that a box of fragments was the only clue left to its original state.

Laura, as the main designer, was elected an Associate of the British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP) in 2000. The Gilroys also enjoy teaching glass painting classes, and feel that it is now their turn to pass on some of the skills and techniques which were once almost exclusive to the ecclesiastical artist.

They have developed a “taster” weekend course that manages to cover each stage of traditional glass painting, with all its joys - and, yes, - frustrations. Many students come back for follow on classes, and so the weekend course often runs on multi levels due to the differing skills of their students. The Gilroys both started drawing and painting early on, inspired by their parents; Laura’s father was a glass artist and John’s mother a keen painter in oils and acrylics. It was no surprise then that John and Laura chose to become artists themselves, but what they do find surprising is how their students often come to a love of drawing from the opposite direction; via their interest in stained glass and the realization of what they can create with practice.

Several of the design projects they completed for the US encompassed all the windows in a church, allowing them to set the artistic style and ambiance for the whole building. For an artist this is a very rewarding concept and one they wanted more opportunity to explore both in design and glass painting, and this led to the decision to move to North America where newer buildings increase this kind of opportunity. Their research, and Laura having family in Canada, led them in 2005 to Vancouver as a location where they could further their abilities and portfolio in a beautiful and stimulating environment.

The Gilroys feel that there is greater potential to keep challenging their abilities here in North America, and believe they definitely made the right decision to relocate. As an example they are currently nearing the end of a rewarding 18 window project depicting the life of St. John the Apostle for a local Catholic Church. “By making a conscious effort to keep the studio focused on the fine art side of the craft; taking on projects that reflect this, and high standards of quality control at all stages including joinery and installation, really keeps the brain active.”

John feels that one of the most rewarding parts of his work is the further development of his painting techniques; “creating ‘Glassy’ painting which is sharp, jewel like and reads strongly from a distance, especially important for ecclesiastical work, brings a lot of satisfaction”. Laura maintains that for her “the conceptualization and design is the most exciting part of a project, but seeing the finished window installed in position runs a close second!”

Gilroy Stained Glass specializes in traditional and contemporary glass painting and fabrication using materials of superior quality imported from all over Europe and North America. They believe that through good design, considered selection of glass and the application of painted tonal values an original piece of art that lends a special ambiance to its architectural surround can be created.”

We recently created a window for Holy Spirit Catholic Church, New Westminster, which celebrates the life and work of Bl. Allamano and the influence he had on the lives of so many people in many countries. From an artistic point of view, this was a particularly interesting project because Bl. Allamano is rarely depicted in stained glass yet his message of inclusion for all is so appropriate today in a world where so many people live in a country other than the one in which they were born.

Fr. David Hughes of Holy Spirit has this to say of Bl. Allamano and the stained glass window in a recent article in the BC Catholic newspaper: “Choosing him as the subject for our new window was appropriate; we have many of the ethnic groups in the window represented in our parish. One of our parishioners actually knew Bl. Allamano, and another was with the Consolata Missionaries in Africa. We have people from South America, Africa, and Asia, where the Consolata missionaries serve. The faces of the figures in the window are exceptional. The Gilroys did a masterful job on the expressions which, unlike what is seen in some stained glass, are very lifelike. The work is superb and we are thrilled.”

While we are on the subject of newsworthy links to stained glass projects at Holy Spirit church (tenuous, I know!), yesterday was the last day of the English tour of St. Therese of Lisieux’s relics. Coincidentally, it was also installation day for our St. Therese window at Holy Spirit. Many people, including the benefactor of this window, feel a great affinity with St. Therese and her “little way”. She is described as the “greatest saint of modern times” and her message of showing love through little deeds really resonates - as demonstrated by the 150,000 people who crowded to view the relics during the month long tour of England and Wales.

Do I fire trace line and tonal applications separately?

We would advise beginners to start this way, firing your trace line first makes it easier to apply your tonal matt over the top and also allows margin for error in that you can always wipe off the matt and start again, without losing your trace line. More experienced artists may prefer to create their tonal effects first and then apply trace line over the top, but you need a sure and steady hand for that!

To what temperature do I need to fire paint?

Depending on your kiln, firing temperature for paint is between 680 - 720 degrees centigrade. When correctly fired the paint should have be smooth and slightly shiny. Fired too low, it will be “dry” with a slightly rough texture and it will be more difficult to clean off at the cementing stage. Different types of glass will fire better than others, generally mouth blown glass is “softer” and the paint will fuse more easily into the surface.

If I use transparent colour enamels, to what temperature do I fire, and do I apply before or after paint and stain?

Enamels are applied after the painting process and before stain. They usually come in powdered form and can be mixed on the palette with water and perhaps a tiny amount of gum Arabic to facilitate smoothing a largish area. They are applied on top of the paint in the area required, and can be painted on loosely with a brush as a water colour paint or applied as a matt and smoothed with a badger. If you want a smooth block colour it’s usually better to apply two thin layers over two firings. Firing temperature is a little lower than paint; 660 - 680 degrees centigrade, again depending on your kiln. As with ceramic enamels, the visual pigment of the colour can be different before fired than after and it looks opaque when applied, becoming transparent during firing. When you use a product for the first time, it’s always advisable to do test pieces on different glass and at different firing temperatures.

What is silver stain?

Stain is the process from which stained glass derives its name - legend has it that the happy accident of silver jewelry falling into a hot kiln with the glass during medieval times led to the discovery. Silver stain is silver nitrate within an opaque pigment used as a carrier. Stain is always applied to the back of the glass, turning the area to which it is applied yellow or amber. The carrier pigment is washed off after firing to reveal the (hopefully) perfect light amber glow beneath - very exciting!

To what temperature do I fire stain, and does it need to be placed face up or face down on the kiln shelf?

Stain should be fired face down on the kiln shelf. Students have told us that some glass painting manuals advocate firing stain face up, but there are a couple of reasons why we were taught as apprentices that this isn’t a good idea. First, if you fire the stain up then the paint side is down, and susceptible to picking up any possible missed debris or dust on your kiln shelf. Secondly, if you are used to placing the piece in the kiln stain down then you will not inadvertently be placing enamels face down - resulting in a very sticky mess on your kiln shelf and a ruined piece. Stain is the last process and is fired at a much lower temperature than paint; between 520 - 600 degrees centigrade depending on your kiln and, more importantly, on the glass you are using. The resultant hue of yellow can be controlled by how thickly the stain is applied, what temperature it is fired at (the higher the temperature the more amber the colour) and what type of glass is used. Again, do test pieces to fully determine and understand the achievable results. It’s also a good idea to have a separate kiln shelf for stain if possible, and certainly to have separate brushes as there must be no cross contamination with your paint.

Following our last posting we received requests for further information, so we thought we’d go over some of the questions that our students often ask us about glass painting. In future postings we’ll cover questions about silver stain, transparent enamels and firing temperatures.

Why do the tracing brushes need to be sable and so long?

Natural hair is still the best as it keeps its shape and holds a decent amount of paint. Sable is particularly “springy” allowing the painter to create a thin line with a light touch and a thicker one by applying slightly more pressure. We use #3 sign writer’s brushes which have hair approx 1 inch long with a pointed tip, excellent for expressive line work.

Badger brushes can be expensive, are the student versions ok to use?

A good quality professional badger matting brush can be considered an investment, as with proper care it will last a lifetime. It should be made of natural hair, for keeping its shape and having the correct give to it that allows smoothing and stippling of an area of paint being matted for tonal work. The hair should be approximately 3 inches long and about 3 inches wide, and most importantly, have about 3 rows of tufts of the hair in the base - this is what allows it to smooth without dragging. Student brushes have only 1 row of hair held rigidly at the base, and so they are best used for very small areas.

Why do I need to use a “bridge”?

A bridge is a piece of wood (or one of my favourites is made from thick transparent plastic) about 12 - 15  inches long with a block attached on either end to raise it 1½ inches above the table surface or light table. Its purpose is to be a surface on which to rest the hand and prevent the transfer of oils from the skin of the hands to the surface of the clean glass - water based paint will not flow properly on any oil spots. It’s also important for the artist’s hand to be a little elevated above the glass in order to allow for correct brush control and to prevent any accidental damage to completed sections. When we do tonal work on a vertical easel we use a mahl stick instead of a bridge - it does the same job.

I’ve seen paint labeled as “tracing black” and “matting brown”, what is the difference between the two?

We use the same high quality paint for both processes; we prefer a mid sepia brown as it’s neither too cold nor too warm in tone, unless it’s for restoration in which case the original paint colour must be matched. Some studios use a different paint for tracing and tonal application, in the past tracing paint was less finely ground, but if the same binder is used there is no need - the paint can be remixed on the palette with water and used for both. If a binder such as oil or acetic acid is used, the paint palettes must be kept separate.

What’s the best binder to use?

Gum Arabic is the most versatile binder, and can be used for both tracing and tonal applications. It’s easily obtained as a liquid from art stores - it comes in powder or crystal form also but is more difficult that way to control the potency of how much is added to the paint. We recommend trying 2 or 3 drops off the end of a tracing brush into a couple of tablespoons of paint on the palette, mix with water to a creamy consistency and test. The correct amount of gum for trace line is enough that the paint flows smoothly from the brush, but not so much that when the line is dry it is to hard to amend the line with a sharp stick or needle. A little more gum is usually needed for trace line; for tonal work we test to the “three strikes and you’re out” theory - the first light brush stroke takes off some paint, the second stroke takes it to a mid tone, and the third stroke takes the paint completely off the glass. Always test your paint - there’s nothing more annoying than matting a large project and then finding that the paint is too soft or too hard!

Stained glass painting by applying line and tone to white and coloured glasses has not changed in essence since Medieval times. Today, anyone who enjoys drawing and painting can try the techniques which were once almost exclusive to the ecclesiastical artist.

PAINT

The paint is a mixture of powdered glasses called fluxes, and ceramic pigments which fire at 1200F (700C) and fuse with the main pane of glass. If properly fired the paint will have a smooth sheen and be scratch resistant.

BINDERS

The powdered paint must be mixed with a binder to adhere it to the glass surface until fired. Most binders are water soluble and in addition help the paint to flow from the brush. Gum Arabic is the most versatile binder.

PALETTES

Sheets of glass on which to mix paint, possibly with a lid or saucer to cover paint when not in use.

PALETTE KNIFE

A flexible steel kitchen spatula 8″- 10″ long is best.

HAND REST/BRIDGE

A length of wood approx 15″x2″x1/2″ blocked up at each end to make a bridge and allow the hand to operate above the work. The only contact should be brushes and glass; finger marks will impair the flow of paint.

EASEL

A framed piece of plate glass set vertically with daylight behind or a light box which has been set vertically.

BEESWAX

A saucepan for heating beeswax to stick glass to easel plate.

TRACERS

The tracing brush is similar to a signwriter’s brush, but must have a good point. The long haired brush is best when made of sable because it springs back into position after being bent. Care of the tracer is important, it should never be left to harden in the paint or stand in the water jar as this may permanently damage the hairs.

MATTING BRUSH

Translucent washes are applied with soft haired flat brushes.

BADGER

This brush will last a lifetime with care, and is used to smooth matts or make stipples.

SCRUBS/HIGHLIGHTERS

Round and flat oil painters white hog hair brushes are used to remove dry paint by scratching strokes or stippling, leaving graduations of half tones. It is often necessary to trim new brushes to shape, then burn the end and rub on sand paper to refine the shape required.

STAIN

The process from which stained glass derives its name, silver stain is silver nitrate mixed with a pigment. When applied to the reverse of the glass and fired between 560-600C it turns the glass yellow (the higher the temperature the more amber the colour).

HOW TO PAINT

TRACING

• Mix 2 tablespoons of powdered paint with a couple of drops of gum Arabic and a little water in the centre of a palette and grind to a creamy paste. Collect with the palette knife and push paint to a corner of the palette, from this take small amounts to be further diluted in the middle of the palette as required.

• With a tracing brush filled with liquid paint start doodling freehand on a piece of clean glass to get a feel of the brush. If the paint doesn’t flow well, try diluting to a thinner fluid or adding a little more gum arabic.

• Next try placing a loaded brush on the glass, just touching enough to make a dot, then move the brush slowly to make a line - slightly lifting for a finer line and pressing slightly for a thicker line. Lines should be fluent and calligraphic in character.

• Avoid touching in or repainting lines after they have dried, as this will have adverse results when fired, also try to lay the paint as flat as possible as thick layers tend to flake.

• It is possible to modify lines after they have dried by scratching with a pointed stick or needle. Once satisfied with the linework, it is usual to fire the glass making it easier to work on the next painting stage.

PAINTING SHADING

• Mix the paint as previously described, and apply a wash with a matting brush in straight horizontal or vertical lines and badger smooth by lightly brushing in different directions. While the paint is still wet stipple it lightly with the tips of the badger hair.

• When the paint is dry test it with brushes, if it comes off too readily you may need more gum in the mix. Too much gum and the matt is too hard, somewhere in between is the right amount to suit.

• Using scrub brushes try making brush strokes in different directions, some lightly, some with pressure. Another method for removing the paint is pouncing or tapping with the end of a brush. Needles fixed into brush ends, pointed sticks, quills and anything which can be used to scratch lines or dots can be used.

• Traditional painting is basically a combination of stippling, brushing, rubbing and scratching. Bright highlights and edges can be picked out with a small brush, stick or needle.

• It should also be remembered that all paint applied to the glass is preventing light getting through, so aim to use paint to give a sparkling jewel-like quality to the glass without overpainting.

We had no clear idea about how the day would turn out - would it be chaos? Would John and I have a melt down?! We’ve taught many adults and a few individual children, and lectured to large groups, but never actually attempted to hold such a large workshop before - but isn’t life all about reaching new frontiers?

Of course all fears were groundless; today’s Grade 5 students seem to be much more focused than when we were at school. The children at Mulgrave school in West Vancouver were really keen to get started on their project of each painting their own sea life motif onto a combination of different hues of mouth blown glass from France and Germany or machine made glass from the USA, each piece having been previously cut to shape by us and later kiln fired and leaded at our studio. Each of the two classes was helping to create a panel to be auctioned in May to raise funds for their school.

We were delighted at how enthusiastic and attentive they were as a group; interested to learn about us and what we wanted to teach them. Individually, they were intent on producing the best work that they could - we didn’t realize that 10 and 11 year olds were such perfectionists! There was certainly potential for the next generation of stained glass artists.

Our thanks to teachers Nicola Ferguson and Mark Race for inviting us for such an enjoyable day.

Creating a new piece that accurately matches an original painted by a guy who has been dead for over a hundred years is as much forensics as fine art. By that I mean you start by matching the glass tone and colour as closely as possible. If it’s a glass you’ve never used before, test how it kiln fires for paint and stain. That way you should avoid unwanted surprises. Next up is examining the piece to consider what binder was mixed with the paint. Gum Arabic is our binder of choice and we find it tends to be with a lot of the pieces we’ve had to match. With experience you should be able to gauge how many times the piece was fired and  whether techniques such as the use of acetic acid, sugar, or oil was used as a binder for the paint. It may seem daunting, but with practice these are things you subconsciously notice almost instantly.

The colour of the paint itself tends to be shades of red/brown or black/brown, and remember although paint is for trace-lining and tonal values it can effect the way the glass colour is viewed. The strength of line and depth of tone are essential as are how they are applied. When you’ve reached an understanding of not only how, but why the artist painted in a certain way, you’ll be able to match the piece more accurately. I admire and enjoy the brush control, needle or stick work on show from artists who really knew their medium inside out. We’ve always found the better the drawing skills and the neater the painting styles on show it’s somehow easier to match or recreate. It’s probably no surprise to find copying a more random or ‘messy’ technique is harder to do, as you’re trying to view the piece from the same viewpoint as the original artist, and let’s face it getting into another artist’s head can be easier said than done.

Talking of easier said than done I recently had to repaint a damaged piece of drapery from one of our own windows. Now this you would think I should be able to do with my eyes closed, whilst juggling flaming batons. I still found myself looking at the piece forensically, and getting inside my own head to examine my decision making from a critical point of view. The conclusion? Some minds are best left unexamined.

We were very fortunate to have had an apprenticeship in one of England’s oldest studios founded in 1788 (at times we didn’t feel so happy about it when we were being told to repeatedly do over a project until it was perfect!), but that kind of education is very rare now, and we feel it is our turn to pass on some of the skills and techniques once almost exclusive to the ecclesiastical artist.

Working with a student, particularly one who is starting on a project of their own design, requires a different kind of approach  - we’re not designing for a client, nor producing a piece to please ourselves, rather we try to see what our student envisages and help them to create it. We demonstrate and talk them through each process, and even guide their brush if necessary, but we try not to actually work on their project ourselves - I am firm even in the face of pleading!! - so that the finished piece is entirely their own work and they can be justifiably proud of what they have achieved.

As with any art based medium good drawing and a little imagination help, but it does give us a buzz to see someone who has never picked up a paint brush since kindergarten, suddenly finding themselves actually enjoying this art stuff.

True stained glass is largely fine art derived. Without good design, drawing and glass painting it’s what the trade calls a “leaded light”; fabricated with glass and lead only, with none of the above elements.

I create our designs with ink and watercolour; I love this medium as it conveys the luminous quality of the glass, also the professional artist colour range closely matches the colours available in the mouth blown glass range. I work in a 1 inch to 1 foot scale, and the completed design gives the client a very close representation of how the finished window will appear. After the design, I go on to produce (using Indian black ink) what is called the “cartoon” - the full size drawing that shows where all the leads will be and shows all the line work and tonal details which will need to be painted on the glass. Next, we get to select glass colours and paint on the glass all those details I just mentioned. Glass painting is a pretty big topic, and one on which we could chat for some considerable time…..we’ll save that for another post!

So, now when you think stained glass, I hope you have a few more elements to add to your mental picture.

The stained glass windows we fitted in the U.K. were into churches, and in some cases private homes, that had been standing for a least a couple of hundred years. The window openings had no wooden frames, and the windows themselves are pointed directly into grooves in the stonework. Rudimentary stone masonry skills are a necessity, although it does help if your Great Grandfather was a master stonemason who built churches in Ireland, and for a period in the late 1800’s New York.

In moving to Canada where the fitting of stained glass requires joinery skills instead, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that my previous experience has not been wasted. Plus to my great delight, and much to the testing of Laura’s patience, I’ve not only been able to put my old hand tools to good use, but have added a plethora of new woodworking and power tools. Tool stores for me bring out very similar reactions to the one I see in my Six year old in a toy store.

From the fine art side of stained glass in producing hand painted watercolour designs, the painting and staining of the glass itself, to the more craft based side of glass cutting, fabrication and fitting. You never stop learning new skills or honing old ones, or lose the desire to develop new painting styles and techniques.

Although at first sight it may not appear so, high quality stained glass really is a fluid organic medium from concept to completion. One day you’re painting St. John the Baptist, the next you’re set loose with some really cool power tools.