UK STAINED GLASS NEWS July 2006
and THE UK STAINED GLASS REGISTER

BOOKS ABOUT STAINED GLASS WINDOWS

We review a newly available stained glass book every few weeks.
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Books shown here are available from UK suppliers.

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Books about designing and making Stained Glass Windows

TRADITIONAL STAINED GLASS DESIGNS

369 different Permission-Free Designs

The CDROM contains all these designs in high quality 600 dpi TIFF, PICT, EPS, BMP, JPEG, GIF format black and white line drawings.

published by Dover Publications at £12.72
ISBN 0-486-99533-X

This is a stained glass design book with a CD. Exciting it is to have the CD with all the designs in so many formats, making it easy for all of you out there, to use them.

There is one big disappointment. I have seen most of these designs before. They come from Dover's book Treasury of Traditional Stained Glass, published in 1981. For example, page 2 of the two books is identical. If you have that book, you pretty well have this one, except for the CD.

Nevertheless, if you don't have the original book, this one will give you a useful stock of standard designs that we see in houses all over the UK. Periods covered are Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, and 1930's.

So! How do we rate this book?

	Degree of Difficulty	EASY
	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # #
	Colour pictures	NONE
	Line Drawings (Patterns)	# # # # #
	Design Interest	#
	Overall	# # #

Available from good stained glass merchants.
Review copy provided by Decorative Glass Supplies, Yorkshire.

FULL COLOUR ART NOUVEAU DESIGNS
CDROM and BOOK

114 Permission Free Window Designs, all in colour.

The CDROM contains all these designs in 300 dpi TIFF format colour images.

published by Dover Publications at £15.99
ISBN 0-486-99567-4

This is an exciting book; it has the best Art Nouveau designs that I have seen for a long time.

I have to admit that most are complex, but good Art Nouveau windows usually are! There are all kinds from those with a clear centre, framed by exciting art nouveau detail, those with a design in the centre, so that all the window is a nouveau extravaganza, and those with a pastoral scene in the centre, framed by art nouveau swirls and flows.

No line drawings which is a let down.

I have mixed feelings about the CDROM. The images are all in .TIFF format. Fine if your software will load and convert that. It strikes me that the format is more for publishing than design. Nevertheless, 90% of today's stained glass artists will be able to load these images, convert the format and then manipulate the images in their PCs to print their cartoons.

We had no trouble, and if anyone out there wants us to talk on this web site about dealing with electronic images, let me know.

So! How do we rate this book?

	Degree of Difficulty	EASY
	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # # #
	Colour pictures	# # # # #
	Line Drawings (Patterns)	NONE
	Design Interest	# # # # #
	Overall	# # # #

Available from good stained glass merchants.
Review copy provided by Decorative Glass Supplies, Yorkshire.

SIX DAYS
The Story of the making of the Chester Cathedral Creation Window

window created by Rosalind Grimshaw
book written by Painton Cowan
published by Alastair Sawday at £12.99
ISBN 1-901970-33-7

This is a wonderful book, not just about the making of a glorious window, but also about the artist who created it, Rosalind Grimshaw.

She suffers from Parkinson's disease, and yet has the grit and spirit that have enabled her to do this window, in spite of ridiculously short planning and execution times.

The navigation through the book is not easy, unless you choose to go from cover to cover, WELL worth the journey. It is an attempt to explain the window, its making, and its remarkable creator which it achieves admirably.

This is a stunning book that would make a wonderfully stimulating and fascinating read for all stained glass artists, experienced, or just starting out. Its a can't put down, can't forget chronicle, diary, examination. Don't miss it!

So! How do we rate this book?

	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # # #
	Colour pictures	# # # # #
	Content	# # # # #
	Design Interest	N/A
	Overall	# # # # #

Available from good stained glass merchants.
Review copy provided by Decorative Glass Supplies, Yorkshire.

WINDOWS of ENDURING BEAUTY
Grand Domestic Projects by Preston Studios
published by Wardell Publications Inc.
ISBN 0-919985-37-8

The collection of images in this book traces a 25 year exploration of artistic themes by Preston Studios.

Most of the projects feature grand entryways and there is a LOT of bevelled glass. Preston studios like curvy flowing designs and there are plenty of those. A good balance is achieved with their section on abstract and artdeco .

There are numerous excellent colour plates over 79 pages, each and every one an inspiration.

How do we rate this book?

	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # # #
	Colour pictures	# # # # #
	Content	# # # # #
	Design Interest	# # # #
	Overall	# # # # #

Available from your stained glass merchant. Review copy provided by Wardell Publications.

WINDOWS FOR THE SOUL
Ecclesiastical Art Glass at Bovard Studio
published by Wardell Publications Inc.
ISBN 0-919985-32-7
Priced at £17.29

This is a beautiful book, and would make a marvellous Christmas Present for both the expert, and someone just starting out with an interest in making stained glass windows.

Its an intriguing mix, with at least 19 fantastic and major projects featured in detail, intermingled with plenty of information on how these windows are made, and the thought processes taken on some of the work done by this studio.

There are so many lovely photographs the book defies description. There are 157 pages, each and every one with several colour plates. The book both inspires artists, and informs prospective clients. It is a book about ecclesiastical stained glass, written to be readable AND interesting.

How do we rate this book?

	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # # #
	Colour pictures	# # # # #
	Content	# # # # #
	Design Interest	# # # # #
	Overall	# # # # #

Available from Decorative Glass Supplies who provided the preview copy.

STAINED GLASS DESIGN SECRETS:
THE COMPONENT METHOD
by Alicia Larson
published by Crystal Images Stained Glass.

I want to make a stained glass window, but I have to tell you, I cannot draw! This book shows people like us, who think like this, how to design a stained glass panel.

This book uses what it calls "The Component Method" to construct stained glass window designs. It takes part of a pattern, that can be traced or even drawn, adds it to others, and builds up the design.

The book builds on this basic stepping stone with many excellent design and construction tips throughout and has a number of well illustrated examples of all the points it raises.

Includes a number of design components in full size components.

How do we rate this book?

	Degree of Difficulty	MEDIUM
	Quality of Paper & Print	# #
	Colour pictures	# #
	Line drawings (patterns)	# # # #
	Pattern Interest	# #
	Overall	# # #

Available from Decorative Glass Supplies and all good stained glass merchants.

WORK in PROGRESS
by Glassmith Studios
published by CST Publications Inc.
ISBN 0-9693533-2-4

This is the third in a series of stained glass window panels and light catchers. It is a fat book with no less than 97 patterns!

The designs are modern, many are floral, and most are relatively easy from a technical point of view.

There are some gems: the Alberta Water Lily (on the cover) and the Penguins, which I particularly like, for example. There is also an excellent Rabbit from the 100 Acre Wood, on the Kid's Page.

This book is purely a feast of designs (There are no instructions, and only a few colour plates).

How do we rate this book?

	Degree of Difficulty	MEDIUM
	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # #
	Colour pictures	# #
	Line drawings (patterns)	# # # # #
	Pattern Interest	# #
	Overall	# # # #

Available from Decorative Glass Supplies

Reviewed 3rd October 2001

Decorative Glass Supplies also stock the second book in the series, Northern Lights, shown here.

A STAINED GLASS JOURNEY

This book by Jillian Sawyer features many of the doors and windows of her career.  Her earlier work is more traditional than the recent, but the latter designs tend to be more interesting.  A bit of a problem for me, because I am very much a traditionalist.  There is something for everybody in this book, from simple to complex, traditional to modern.  There is one great strength in Jillian's designs.  She understands the structures in stained glass panels so her designs are manageable and will stand up to the rigours of transport and installation.

I have shown a detail from the Witch's cauldron which is in the famous Perth (Australia) restaurant of the same name.  I could not decide whether this or the Harlequin was my favourite design from the book.

You get value for money here with about EIGHTY designs. There are full colour plates of most of them!

How do we rate this book?

	Degree of Difficulty	EASY (MOSTLY)
	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # # #
	Colour pictures	# # # # #
	Line drawings (patterns)	# #
	Pattern Interest	# # #
	Overall	# # # # #

Author: Jillian Sawyer
Published by the Original Redback Press, Australia
Available from TEMPSFORD STAINED GLASS

Now this IS a good book!
Mostly pitched at Window panels.  Suitable for beginners, but with plenty of inspiration for experienced stained glass artists.

It has about forty seven designs, all shown in colour and with black and white line drawings.  The theme is mostly modern, but with strong traditional influences.  The book has a superb section on how to make your own stained glass window designs, hence the name GRIDS.

My favourite designs are the Light House on page 12, and the Fruit Floral side light on page 4.  This latter is a very detailed panel and will take some making.  Two fantastic designs.

How do we rate this book?

	Degree of Difficulty	BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE
	Quality of Paper & Print	# # # # #
	Colour pictures	# # # #
	Line drawings (patterns)	# # # # #
	Pattern Interest	# # # #
	Overall	# # # # #

Available from DECORATIVE GLASS SUPPLIES LIMITED.

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