Glass Artist, Architectural Glass Design - Creative Stained Glass
by Catrin Jones

Catrin Jones is a contemporary stained glass artist, specialising in the design, manufacture and installation of stained glass and decorative glass for architecture. Based in Wales, and with more than twenty-five years experience as a professional glass artist, Catrin Jones has been commissioned to make decorative glass in a wide range of settings, including commercial, cultural, domestic, educational, healthcare, and religious environments.

Before commencing to design for a new project, Catrin will discuss the requirements of the commission with the client, and research any relevant information about the location. Whilst some of Catrin’s architectural glass designs are purely decorative, many are descriptive in that the imagery illustrates or represents something meaningful. After discussions and research, Catrin will produce a preliminary design on paper at a smaller scale. When a design is agreed, she will then consider how best to realise the design in stained glass.

There are three main techniques that the glass artist will use to realise a design in architectural glass. Traditional stained glass uses sheets of hand-made pre-coloured glass that are held together with lead. This is the most beautiful of techniques, but is also the most expensive, and the size of the sheets of glass is limited. A less expensive method of colouring architectural glass is to paint coloured enamels on float glass. This technique is becoming increasingly popular, particularly since very large sheets of glass can be treated. Lastly, clear float glass can be slumped or etched or sandblasted to create beautiful effects in architectural glass. The decision about which technique to use for a particular commission will depend on the setting, the available budget and the size of the commission. A combination of these different techniques may be used to realise a single stained glass design.