Contemporary stained glass from the studio of Amy McCarthy
This panel just got fitted into a lovely 1930’s house in Teignmouth today and it is a stylized view from the front of the house. The two reception rooms have been knocked through and this panel adds colour and a wow factor to the room. Continue reading “A stained glass seaside scene for a local family home”
This long, horizontal window is going into an internal window in a family house (currently being renovated) in the South Hams between the kitchen and living space. Continue reading “South Hams/Burgh Island commission”
My latest commission, a fishy window for a converted pub in the Cotswolds, this is in an internal door. The fish are acid etched into spectrum water glass, which, as the name suggests is perfect for representing water. Continue reading “Fishy window – stained glass and acid etched door panel”
This is a new piece, commissioned for a 1920’s front door for a period house in
Exmouth.
My client wanted
the local landscape and beach huts as a theme and I enhanced this seaside theme more by acid etching and etching shells into some of the glass border.
Acid etching was the first surface technique I learned and it remains one of my favourite effects. The way that the texture – and therefore light transmission of the glass is altered is both subtle and effective and is very useful for adding close up detail without making the overall design too ‘busy’. To add a contemporary twist I have fired the photograph of Exmouth Beach huts onto glass in my kiln and this modern process gives a contrast to the traditional leading and etching.
I have just installed this large window, which I have been working on for the last couple of months. It is
just over a metre square and is situated in the lounge/diner of a modern bungalow. The client was keen to obscure the view from the window: an ugly brick wall and as she has a special love of the Island of Tresco a landscape seemed like the perfect solution.
The window has lots of details, to keep the viewer interested over a long period. As well as using a wide range of textures and types of stained glass (from antique, mouth blown glass to modern, machine rolled iridescent water glass) and have acid etched shells into the glass in the border and painted agapanthus (in a mixture of glass enamels and lustre, which were then fired in the kiln) and other natural details in the panel itself.
The 
window sits in front of a double glazed window, resting on the window sill and is screwed into the window surround with small brackets and thanks to my helpful dad who made a frame for the panel to sit in.
The Tresco panel has transformed the room and because it is visible from the front door, it has added the ‘wow factor’ to the property from the minute you walk in. It was such a dark, grey day today the photos really don’t do the piece credit; but I am assured that in a brief break in the clouds, the sun was shining through the panel and sending colourful blocks of coloured li
ght around the room.
I get quite nervous about delivering work, what if it doesn’t fit? What if they hate it? But it fits perfectly and the client emailed me to say , “Thank you for the beautiful window! As the light is going the colours coming through are stunning-doesn’t show when photo taken-and earlier sitting on the sofa looking at it -wow!” So I can rest easy, phew!
This large panel has just been installed to further obscure a large bathroom win
dow; I make lots of windows for bathrooms and toilets and it is a great place to put a stained glass window as it adds privacy and interest to small rooms. At just over a metre square its a striking feature which is visible through the bathroom into the upstairs landing. The window has been fixed in front of the existing textured double glazed panel and really livens up the space. All the fish are made with iridescent water glass and have been hand painted and kiln fired. The panel is leaded using traditional techniques
