I haven’t posted anything for a while, I think like most people I’m just trying to get my head around what is happening and I don’t think there is going to be business as usual for quite some time. Clearly there is a lot of anxiety in the news and our social media feeds, and I guess to balance that I have found myself thinking a lot about artists who have inspired and influenced me. So I thought I would create a little series about inspiration; where we find it and what it means to us. To me inspiration is like combined hope and excitement, and people who are able to generate that feeling in others are truly to be celebrated. They may be people who we know personally or they may be people whose work or actions we admire and to which we are drawn.
I’m going to start with our mentors; Roy Coomber (Fellow of the British Society of Master Glass Painters and Professional Member of the Stained Glass Associate of America) and James (Jim) Crombie (Graduate of the Royal Academy of Art and Associate of the British Society of Master Glass Painters). As apprentices Roy taught us technique and, arguably just as importantly, the ability to self assess. His favourite question was “Are you happy in your work?” which was intended to either push us to do better or make us defend our choices and decide for ourselves that we had achieved our goal. Of course, if he didn’t like it we still had to do it again! His work was bold and rich with detail; his artistry and his work ethic inspire me to this day.
Jim Crombie was an extraordinary artist who designed and created many glorious stained glass windows, and also such beautiful water colour landscapes. He was the kind of artist who could turn his hand to many different media, and even twice designed the winning entry to create a garden at the Chelsea Garden Show. He had a tendency to neither praise nor criticize, rather when asked for advice with a design he would work the process through my view point and then open my eyes to design possibilities I hadn’t even considered. We have some of his designs and watercolours displayed in our home; they never fail to lift my spirits. Here’s to all those special people, in all walks of life, who make a difference.
Roy Coomber in his studio, 1993
The Queen’s Jubilee window, St John’s Church, Basildon. (Photo credit: Pendle Stained Glass)
Jim Crombie in his studio, early 90’s
St Peter & St Paul’s Church, Olney, Buckinghamshire.
(Photo credit: Rex Harris)
