Graham is an accredited restorer with The Institute of Conservation, ICON, is a member of The British Society of Master Glass Painters, BSMGP and also The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, SPAB.
After his education in local Stroud schools, Graham trained as an architect at Bath University in the 60's. He worked as a freelance architectural designer, restoring period properties, collaborating with artists and sculptors on individual commissions. He developed an interest in the "Green Movement" in the 70's and conservation of the "Built Environment". He set up his first stained glass studio in the late 70's. He came to Ruskin Mill in 1993 and has taught "Special Needs" students on the Further Education Course there, both in glass mosaics and stained glass.
His work is a blend of traditional and modern stained glass using glass painting and antique glasses, but with no preconceptions as to it's forms. He believes in glass being symbolic and transforming.
The studio can undertake all types of stained glass commissions from figurative, traditional styles to contemporary. We enjoy the challenge of interpreting a design concept in a specific architectural setting right through to fixing and fitting protective guards, if required.
He has been inspired by the "Arts and Crafts" movement and in particular the work of Christopher Whall in stained glass. He worked with the late Edward Payne in the early 80's and succeeded him as Conservator of Stained Glass at Gloucester Cathedral in 1983. He has continued in this post to the present day.
Graham believes in the "Artist/Craftsperson" dealing with all aspects of the craft - from design to making and fixing. More importantly he believes that work should be life enhancing and absorbing and not drudgery. In this respect the ideas of William Morris and John Ruskin inform his working life.
Some of my more recent commissions for stained glass windows can be seen here.
I am always pleased to accept commissions for new windows or panels in private homes or public buildings and also for new windows in churches or other places of worship. The latter is a special priviledge and challenge which incorporates inspirational meaning for worship and often a sympathy for architechtural and historic context.
If you are interested in having a commission made please send an email using the contact box via the website or ring the studio to arrange a suitable time to visit Graham and he will discuss your ideas and needs and also talk about cost.
I treat each one as a unique opportunity and the design will reflect the brief from the client or committee and it's setting.
As a general rule we try to conserve as much of the original material as possible. Often we are replacing perished leads, while carefully cleaning, repairing and conserving all historic glass.
We use reversible conservation techniques wherever achievable.
About half of our work is concerned with routine re-leading of windows, vandalism repairs and all types of ecclesiastical conservation of historic stained glass. The glass is photographed and recorded as necessary and worked on using methods and techniques in accordance with the best conservation practices. Graham is a PACR accredited conservator with ICON and details of his work can be found on the Conservation Register of the ICON website.
We also undertake the removal of leaded and stained glass from private houses, public buildings as well as churches.
We can utilize 'isothermal glazing techniques', where original historic glass is remounted internally in metal frames and a sympathetic leaded glazing is re-fixed in the original glazing position. This achieves the objective of removing precious glass from the elements and the risk of vandalism.
We are always up-dating and re-appraising our approach to specific problems.
Welcome to the Gallery, we hope you enjoy the images. You can scroll through, click on each image to enlarge and close by clicking the cross on the top right of the page. We have also provided a piece of music by Thomas Tallis - 'Spem In Alium' should you like to listen whilst browsing through. Just click play on the player at the top right hand side of this page.
Since 1983, Graham has been a glazing conservator at Gloucester Cathedral.
In recent years we have been involved in restoration work to:
South Aisle Windows. Two have been completely removed, conserved, releaded and refixed. The last of these, 'The Coronation Window-Henry III' was completed this summer (2011). Another window was vandalised at the end of 2010 and two traceries needed removal, repairs and releading. Currently we are involved in improving ventilation to the Lady Chapel. New opening casements are to be fitted and alterations made to surrounding glass.
Restoration of Morris & Co window and Prinknash
Heraldic glass to S.Walk Cloister and on-going vandalism repairs to all Cloister Walks.
He is called in to undertake all repairs to vandalised windows and any other damage needing attention.
Most of the work is planned as part of on-going restoration in connection with stone repairs.
Major work has included:
Restoration and conservation of the Great East Window
Removal and re-leading of S.Aisle windows
Re-leading of buckled sections of Christopher Whall glass from the S.Side of the Lady Chapel
Repairs to 26 vandalised windows in the Great Cloister
East Window Lady Chapel (medieval) windows
Projects have involved cleaning, removal of sections for re-leading, overhaul of casements, re-cementing, removal of corroding internal saddle bars and replacement with non-ferrous bars.
The studio is one of several craft work shops in a large converted mill in the heart of the Nailsworth valleys including a working water wheel and lake. We have two studio spaces, one is for design/glass painting, kiln firing, making and glass, the other is for acid etching and print work.
We are a team of five who bring together specialized creative and practical skills. We use a range of light sources, day light and light boxes. We have gas and electric kilns, use an extensive range of lead cames with a great varity of profiles and sizes for our work.
We also have a comprehensive stock of mouth blown 'antique', flashed, streaky and obscuring glass.
We always welcome new visitors and clients with a warm and friendly atmosphere and are happy to discuss any questions about the work that we do. There is also disabled access to the studio with limited parking.
If you wish to arrange a commission or to discuss some other work or interest, please write your name, email address, subject and a brief description of what it is that you are looking for in the contact box below and we'll get back to you as soon as we can to discuss things further.
Or, if you wish to visit the studio at Ruskin Mill you can ring to arrange a suitable time and also enjoy the surroundings of the Mill, including a lovely organic restaurant and coffee shop over-looking the lake.
Graham Dowding Stained Glass
Ruskin Mill
Old Bristol Road
Nailsworth
Glos
GL6 OLA
Tel: 01453 834712
Email: graham_grahamdowdingstainedglass.co.uk
Below are a collection of links of companies, associates and friends that we feel may be of interest to you.
This page of the site is dedicated to creative minds and also shows a selection of stained glass work that is available for sale. If you are interested in any of the panels below you can send an email or make contact with us from the contact page.
Gloucester Cathedral
ICON - Institute of Conservation
BSMGP - British Society of Master Glass Painters
SPAB - Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Creative Glass Guild - Bristol
Lee Cooper - Blacksmiths Tetbury
English Antique Glass
Pearsons Glass
David Mitchell - Lead Supplier
Addington Studio - Conservation Materials
Anne Simon - Artist
The Dialogue Project
(Flowers) - from a painting by Gianni Dova 'Mountain Flowers'.
Price - £450 inc vat
12" x 12"
(Primitive) - from Carl - Hemming Pedersen 'Fantasia II' 1944.
You will find a right and a left arrow cursor next to the videos enabling you to scroll through the different videos that we have uploaded.
We hope that you enjoy this new section of our website and find the content of some use as well as interesting. If you have any questions regarding the videos we are sharing please use the contact box on our website and we will reply to any queries that you have.
We have recently set up a Youtube channel where we will be sharing videos of work that we have completed and work that is in progress. We also aim to give short tutorials on glass making and some of the techniques that we use.
Graham will also be providing short talks about the glass work that he's been involved with and subjects of interest.
