Sette

After working 18days straight in the last half of January I completed and installed a new stained glass window for the Narthex of St Bedes Catholic Church, Pyrmont. I had been working on the design for this window on and off for over a year, with much thought, research and consultation to get it looking just right. Everyone, including myself, was happy with the result.

Since completing the St Bede's window it's been all restoration work in the studio, with work underway for Burwood Baptist Community Church, Burwood Presbyterian Church, a couple more windows for Holy Family Catholic Church in Largs, near Maitland NSW and a lovely old stairwell window for one of St Vincent de Paul Society's buildings at Rockdale.

New on the horizon will be an 8x week session teaching glass painting for the Eastern Suburbs Community College, starting Tuesday 5th May at Dover Heights High School. While I have taken many students through the intracacies of painting on glass privately in my studio I haven't taught at an institution since the late 80's so I think it's going to be fun

And on the exhibition front, I have a new glass work entered in the R. A. S. Easter Show at Homebush which opens to the public 9th - 22nd April. Titled "Glass Painting No. 5" the work incorporates a central square of highly decorated glass from the 30's called Optima, painted in gestural sweeps of Reusche tracing black and various enamels and stains. This is only the second year that the Easter Show has sponsored a special section for stained glass in their Arts Competitions: I think it's important to support that. Besides, last year I won 2nd Prize and $300! :-)

Over at the McGrath building in Sailors Bay Rd, Northbridge, Steve and other artists from the Gallery26 collective have just hung a new exhibition. My contribution is one of my "Drawings For the New Millennium" (a series of 8x pastel drawings on paper made in the year 2000) These mixed collections are rotated each month. And after Easter the Mill Gallery in York, Western Australia is taking "Primal Gesture", a dramatic square stained glass, also comprising a central painted panel, as a companion to "Mesh No. 1" which they have on display already.

I've never been over to W.A., but if you happen to be doing so or live not too far from York, the Mill Gallery appears to be a delightful addition to any itinerary. Call in and please, let me know your thoughts.

Very sad news: Cherry Phillips, one of Sydney's finest contemporary stained glass artists, has died after a long battle with emphasema. Cherry retired from active commission work quite some years back but will be fondly remembered by many in the industry. I will be writing at some length in my next update.