Memorial Windows for St James Norton Church, Worcestershire

I started working on the drawings for St James Church, Norton these windows in 2022, it has been a long process from the initial drawings to the finished windows. The brief was to reflect the striking landscape of the Malvern Hills and to memorialise the passing of a young man, who is buried in the churchyard. The inscription is from Psalm 121 and reads 'I will lift my eye unto the hills' to reflect the glory of God in the natural world around us. These are my first windows in a working church and I have learned a great deal; from the Ecclesiastical commissioning process, to how to fit windows into a Medieval church. I am very proud of the finished work, which includes traditional kiln fired glass painting and modern fused glass techniques.

The windows have now been dedicated. I don't often dwell on how long my work may last. But seeing the Arch Deacon blessing them reminds me this church has had over 1000 years of continuous worship. Had Henry VIII not been so keen on having his own religion the medieval glass that was once in these windows might still be there! Humans can be so creative and so destructive.