VIRTU A love of or taste for works of art or curios;
a knowledge of or interest in the fine arts as a subject or interest

Search

Virtu

Virtu Home Page

Virtu Services

Email Virtu

Virtu-Art Books

Navigation

Art Brushes - A Virtu Guide

Art Movements

Movement Outline

How to Write an Artists Statement

How to Stretch a Canvas

How to be a Responsible Collector

How to Critique a Painting

e-commerce and the internet

Preparing for an Exhibition

How to Photograph Your Own Artwork

How to Price Your Art

Studio Visits + Gallery Interviews

Guide to Approaching Galleries

Oscar Wilde - Lecture to Art Students

Glossary of Art Terms

Links + Resources

SW Cork Artists, Crafters, Galleries + Studios

Art Guilds, Councils, Collectives etc

Irish Art Related Links

Art + Craft Education Resources

Government Links

Art Magazines + Ezines

Artists Supplies Links

Methuselah Stained Glass - Ann Dex + Geoffrey Phillips

Methuselah Stained Glass situated in Drimoleague run by Ann Dex and Geoffrey Phillips was established twelve years ago. They came from The Isle of Wight, where as Geoffrey says "we had probably sold a window to everyone on the island that was likely to buy one, so we had to move". They had an Irish friend on the island who was going back to Ireland to look for property and she suggested they go along too. And so they did touring all round Ireland. They went right round the Ring of Kerry without seeing the sea, because it was such terrible weather. And fixed on Bantry in the pouring rain heaven knows why. According to Ann it was fate that drew them to this area. After that they returned a few more times to crystallize the idea. Finally finding the mill in Drimoleague and they have been there ever since.

Ann Dex is the front of house person, the one that the public have contact with. She will guide seekers to the panel design of their wishes. Geoffrey Phillips likes to stay in the background working. Kindly while Tony was talking to Ann about his plans to make a few art glass pieces Geoffrey talked to me about the ins and outs of everyday life within Methuselah.

Firstly Geoffrey states that if you would like a stained glass panel made up it is always best to go locally. For various reasons; firstly, carriage can be problem particularly with a big window. And secondly it's a very personal thing, if you're doing a one off instead of producing something from a catalogue. The panel design evolves as you are talking to the client and communication becomes a major factor in the overall design. According to Geoffrey "it's quite extraordinary how few people have any idea at all of what they want. Ann is the person front of house and talks to the customer. I am at the back of the studio. Ann will talk to them and get from them personal things. A stained glass panel is a work of art and as such unique to them and we try to put something personal into it. We have been here now for twelve years and in all that time we have had no more than 2 or 3 people that have come in with a specific design. These designs then have to be translated to glass because there are certain things you can not do with glass. But given that, we will re-produce the design exactly."

"It's a very painstaking business and it's still done now as it was centuries ago. That's the lovely thing about it really. People say Oh, aren't you worried about lead poisoning? but lead is inert, it's only a problem if it is digested. In fact our tutor in Oxford was I think in his sixties and he said that his doctor had just said somebody had mentioned lead-poisoning and advised a test. The lead content of his body was only slightly up after a lifetime of working with the material".

When Geoffrey cuts the glass, he grinds all the edges because then "a: they do not snag the lead and b: they do not snag your hands. It's an unforgiving medium to work with. Geoffrey always wears rubber gloves for soldering. That way he says "by the time you smell the rubber the heat hasn't quite got through to your skin. It takes a while to get used to the work and it is very hard on the fingers and finger ends I've got really tough finger pads. It's very hard physical work particularly if your doing a church window. Cumulatively there is a lot of work that goes into a lead light panel."

Initially, a customer will be advised as to the basic price but as each panel is unique it is just a basic idea that can be given. For example a window can be simple or complicated, as in a church. A face in a church panel will go into the kiln maybe five or six times. "It's quite a long process. Faces and hands are the most difficult. For instance you start with the outline and maybe the eyes, then that is fired. Then you fill in the beard and so on and that is fired. And then it needs to touched up and bits are added so that's the third firing. Then you matt the face and that has to be highlighted, it can take four or five hours just to pick out the highlights, then back to the kiln for a further firing."

"It is important to make the faces the brightest part of the window. You can have flat matt or stipple matt giving a different texture. This then has to be picked out to highlight the top of the lip, the brow and keep the eye arches dark. This process can take another four or five hours to do. Then it is fired again and you may have to do it again to give darker lines or a different colour. Sometimes we do the lips a different colour. Then to get yellow say in the halo, it's stained on the back and fired again. It has probably by this stage taken a week to do that. You still cannot tell what it all looks like and you may have up to 400 pieces. All these then have to be waxed with beeswax onto a seperate sheet of glass and then held to the light with your heart in your mouth so that you can tell which bits are too light or too dark. When it is held up to the light you can tell what adjustments are necessary and the whole process is repeated as often as necessary to get it right."

If you would like to check out the Methuselah web site and look at all the wonderful designed panels they have done please follow this link Methuselah Stained Glass Drimoleague

Decorative Glass of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries - A Source Book
This work gathers together 150 colour illustrations of original stained- glass pieces in their natural settings and demonstrates how stained-, painted and etched glass was used by the leading exponents and glaziers of the Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts and Art Deco design movements. Accompanied by a historical appreciation of the role of decorative glass in architecture, there is also practical information on recreating the effect intended by the original architect

The History of Stained Glass: The Art of Light - Medieval to Contemporary
Stained glass, an art form that has developed over more than 1000 years, continues to compel art lovers, historians and devout believers in equal measure. The public has come to appreciate innovative new developments even as it is more keenly aware of obligations to study and protect historic sites and their essential decorative programmes. This volume provides a study of this divine artistry. It explores the key periods in which stained glass has emerged as a notable art form through examining the methods by which it was produced, and the origins, symbolism and contexts in which it is displayed

Basic Stained Glass Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started
This highly detailed guide contains everything the beginner needs to know to make beautiful basic stained glass projects -- presented with lavish colour illustrations and precise instructions that eliminate the guesswork from each step-by-step activity. Expert techniques and tips for cutting and polishing glass, tracing patterns, soldering, and more are explained with the beginner in mind. Included is an indispensable section on tools and materials used to make each of the pieces -- from classic flat-panel creations to a Tiffany-style lamp. Other topics: setting up a good workspace, safety guidelines, and project variations

A Dictionary of Glass: Materials and Techniques (Glass)
This dictionary is aimed at people who work with glass whether they are professional, amateur, glassblower, etcher, engraver, stained glass artist or industrial glass worker. It aims to cover technical and artistic aspects of working with glass

Back to Top