Sunrise Stained Glass Ltd, 58-60 Middle Street, Southsea, Hampshire PO5 4BP UK +44 (0)23 9275 0512

© 2009 Sunrise Stained Glass Ltd. All rights reserved | Stained glass artist, glass restoration, stained glass church windows, antique stained glass, glass painter, UK |

Sunrise Stained Glass Studio

Stained glass window artists achieving high standards of design and craftsmanship.

STUDIO GLASS PAINTER, STAINED GLASS DESIGNER AND MAKER JUDE TARRANT,  AMGP,BA(HONS):

I was engaged as a part-time lecturer in stained glass from 1984-8 for Portsmouth Institute for Further Education and Southdown's College, Purbrook, Hampshire, however work commitments since that time have prevented me from offering teaching or training courses.  Since the foundation of Sunrise Stained Glass studio in 1982 I have been fortunate to have worked on many large scale restoration projects (which has included more than two decades of work at Chichester Cathedral, completing restoration and conservation to windows of the great South and North Transepts, South Aisle and Chapels, Lady Chapel, Cloisters, Bell Tower and all clerestory windows).  The need to match the diversity of style and fine glass painting techniques of these earlier master craftsmen has led me to evolve diverse approaches to my own glass painting in the new commissions I have undertaken, whether abstract and contemporary or more representational in approach.  In 2001 I was elected an Associate of the British Society of Master Glass Painters.

FEATURED WORK

The Gilbert White Memorial windows were included in a double page colour  feature in the Winter 1993 edition of the SGAA magazine, also in the Daily Telegraph June 28th, The  Winchester Way, The Times and Country Life and The News on July 2nd.  The Spring 1995 World Edition of SGAA magazine featured other work.

In December 1997 I appeared on 'Classic Interiors' T.V. programme at Palace House, Beaulieu talking about stained glass and displaying one of my windows.

A colour feature appeared in 'The Independent' in June 1998.

The 'Stained Glass Design Sourcebook' by Lynette Wrigley Included my work in September 1998.

Portsmouth Evening News November 11th 1998 had a full-page colour article on my stained glass work and in August 2001 I appeared on BBC Radio Solent and on Wiltshire Radio in January 2001 discussing stained glass.

March 2004 featured my ‘Green Man of Beauworth’ window on the BBC website ‘Religion & Ethics’ section for Easter and the Green Man from the St Aldhelm series of windows appeared in the 2004 brochure of courses of Nottingham University.

The Gilbert White Memorial window has been featured in many publications, the most recent being the front cover of a new biography of Gilbert White by Richard Mabey, published by the University of Virginia Press in 2006.  The window itself appears in ‘England’s Thousand Best Churches’ by Simon Jenkins:

“The two White memorial windows are in the south aisle. The east window is more moving…the glass is clear and permits a view of nature beyond, but includes roundels of rabbits, a turtle, a hedge-hog and a bat. It is among the loveliest of 20th-century windows”.

Google Logo design. In 2006 I was selected as the local artist for southern England to design a stained glass ‘Google’ logo and present a school workshop as part of their publicity campaign for their national schools art competition.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

I have been commissioned to make windows for private homes (some historic and some very modern) for offices, schools and a prison, although most of my work is for places of worship.  This is probably the greatest challenge of all, to deal with traditional religious themes in a contemporary manner.

I use a range of techniques to interpret my designs, including acid-etching and sand-blasting, glass painting and staining, often in traditional leaded technique. I seek a fluid response to my subject matter or design brief, and so my approach is sometimes painterly and abstract and at other times emphasises more precisely representational elements.

I continue to strive to develop my skills and design outlook and maintain an interest in printmaking techniques which I have been able to apply to my glass design and painting.  Always being inspired by the vibrancy of colour and texture of handmade glass, I hope the joy it can evoke shines through my work.

DESIGN PROCEDURE

I work on a commission basis only, each project is carefully considered with regard to the requirements of the surrounding architectural detail and artistic possibilities offered. After an initial discussion with the client to establish the design brief (which can be a loose idea or have exact requirements on subject matter, style etc) I usually prefer to visit the site where the window will be installed with the client.  Once guidelines for a design are finally established I will present my design drawn to scale in watercolour, and an estimate of the cost of making and installing the window. At this stage I charge a small fee to cover travelling expenses and a contribution towards initial design costs.  To produce the design I usually allow 6 – 8 weeks.  Once approval of the final design is given and a completion time agreed I will produce a full scale ‘cartoon’ of the window, and the client is free to view the work at this stage and see the choice of glass, etc. Studio visits to see the work in various stages of progress is welcomed by previous arrangement.

JUDE TARRANT – STAINED GLASS ARTIST

“I work with the traditional processes of painting on to antique glass with kiln fired oxide pigments, including screen printing and acid etching or sand-blasting where the design calls for it.

Regarding my design approach, I try not to have any narrow style but respond to each new project and to be inspired by either the place, the subject matter, or sometimes the theme or feelings associated with the donor or even an abstract idea or poem or scriptural quotation. I prefer to work in a contemporary way and yet still be sympathetic to the restraints of the architecture and the window space, and this often prompts a new approach to a subject.”