STAINED GLASS PAINTING DEMONSTRATION AT HOPE & IVY x WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY DRESS COLLECTION LAUNCH

I was recently invited to take part in the launch of British dress brand Hope & Ivy’s new collection of William Morris print dresses in collaboration with The William Morris Society.

Flora Jamieson in her Dorset stained glass studio, wearing the Dorothy dress from Hope & Ivy

Hosted at Pom London, the weekend was a wonderful event with an evening reception which included talks by Claudia Suckling from The William Morris Society and Angelina Bakalarou from BBC’s The Repair Shop, on the importance of preserving traditional crafts for future generations.

There was a series of artist demonstrations over the weekend - I gave a live stained glass painting demonstration where I showed how I paint the first layer of my William Morris-inspired quarries using a fine brush and traditional glass paint, and there was also basket weaving and hand-painted wallpaper demonstrations from La Basketry and Sian Zeng.

You can read more about the weekend over on the Hope & Ivy Journal and there is also a lovely Meet the Maker feature with all the artists who took part in the weekend.

To find out more about the Hope & Ivy x William Morris Dress Collection, take a look here: https://hopeandivy.co.uk/blogs/news/william-morris-dress-collection-print-stories

COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE FEATURE JUNE 2024

I was delighted to be featured in Country Living Magazine recently, one of my favourite publications and a champion of makers and artists in rural areas. It was an absolute pleasure to be photographed by Jason Ingram at my stained glass studio and on location in the Dorset countryside.

We Are Makers Magazine Feature

Featured in Issue 9 of We Are Makers magazine, an independently published journal of makers around the globe.

New Limited Edition Stained Glass Pieces in Collaboration with The William Morris Society and the crafts council

Flora Jamieson x William Morris Society x Crafts Council

Introducing an exciting collaboration with The William Morris Society and the Crafts Council: an exquisite new range of hand-made stained glass pieces. Celebrating impeccable craftsmanship and intricate artistic vision, these hand-painted glass quarries capture the enduring beauty of stained glass windows typical of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Meticulously designed by myself, each piece is inspired by the delicate yet ornate artwork of William Morris, combined with my playful, whimsical style and love of the natural world.

There are 5 designs: each one features British flora and fauna, hand-painted onto beautiful mouth blown glass in pale tints, replicating the stained glass quarries (decorative squares or diamonds) often seen in the windows and doors of houses from the Arts and Crafts era (1880-1920).

Each quarry measures approx. 10cm x 10cm (4” x 4”) and is framed with a lead border. There is fine wire attached for hanging. Beautiful to display individually, or collect the set of 5 designs.

The quarries are available exclusively from The William Morris Society.

These thoughtfully crafted stained glass pieces evoke a sense of nostalgia, paying homage to the rich heritage of artisanal craftsmanship. With a focus on quality materials and attention to detail, these charming, limited edition works of art are destined to become cherished heirlooms.

For more information and to purchase, please visit the William Morris Society shop.

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The William Morris Society is an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the enduring legacy of the renowned British textile designer, poet, and socialist activist, William Morris. Founded in 1955, the society serves as a hub for individuals who appreciate Morris's profound impact on arts, crafts, and social reform. It endeavors to foster an understanding of Morris's philosophies, principles, and creative works through various educational programs, exhibitions, lectures, and publications. Emphasizing the importance of Morris's ideas on craftsmanship, environmentalism, and the pursuit of beauty, the William Morris Society continually inspires and engages a diverse community of scholars, enthusiasts, and artists who are passionate about his visionary ideals.

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The Crafts Council is a prominent organization dedicated to promoting and supporting contemporary craft in the United Kingdom. With a rich heritage that spans over four decades, the Crafts Council plays a vital role in nurturing talented craft makers, advocating for the value of craft, and engaging the public in the appreciation of craftsmanship. Through their various initiatives, including exhibitions, publications, and educational programs, the Crafts Council strives to connect makers and enthusiasts, fostering a vibrant and sustainable craft community. Their relentless efforts in championing the extraordinary skill and innovation of UK-based craftspeople have significantly contributed to the recognition and growth of the craft sector both nationally and internationally.

Meet the Artist interview and photographs by Alice Tatham / The Wildwood Moth

I’ve been a huge fan of Alice Tatham’s beautiful photographs of the Dorset countryside that she shares on Instagram for a few years now, so I jumped at the opportunity when she asked if she could take some photographs in my stained glass studio for her new series of Meet the Artist interviews + studio tours on her blog. You can read the whole interview here. Here are a few of my favourite images from the shoot.

Elle Decoration Feature on Contemporary Stained Glass - July 2022 Issue

A lovely surprise to be mentioned in the July/August 2022 issue of Elle Decoration magazine, in a feature on bold and bright contemporary stained glass - “Art of Glass”.

4 Little Stained Glass Windows For a 16th Century House in France

4 little windows, each about 22cm square, designed for a 16th century house in the Perigord region of France.

The brief was to create designs based around the seasons, and I enjoyed choosing the insects and animals to accompany the fruits (walnuts, garriguette strawberries, prune d’agen and wine grapes) typical of the region of France.

Each design is hand painted using kiln-fired grisaille paint, vitreous enamels and silver stain to build up the layers of detail, shading and colour.

For reference material, I turned to my trusty vintage botanical illustration books, as well as looking at the work of CFA Voysey, French ceramicist Bernard Palissy and the illustrated fruit specimens of 17th century horticulturalist John Tradescant.

If you are interested in commissioning something similar for your own home, you can email your enquiry here:

The completed set of 4 windows. Clockwise from top left: Winter, Spring, Autumn, Summer.

Winter

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Work in progress - the grisaille painting completed.

Designing the artwork for the paintings - this is Winter in progress

The May Cherry - John Tradescant

Apothecary Garden by CFA Voysey

Coiled snake and fern platter by Bernard Palissy

LEARN TO MAKE STAINED GLASS WITH ME!

LEARN TO MAKE STAINED GLASS - SUITABLE FOR BEGINNERS OR IMPROVERS

If you've ever wondered how in the heck stained glass is made, or how you start a career in stained glass, or why cutting glass is a bit like driving a car, join me and I will explain all.

I’ll tell you how I got started as a stained glass artist, and who my influences and inspirations are, then I’ll guide you through all the materials and tools you'll need to make a window. I'll even give you some advice for setting up your workspace, and lots of guidance on health and safety.

Once you're all set up, I'll show you how to design a cutline, which is the name for the plan that you make your stained glass window on, and teach you some methods for cutting and breaking glass.

Once you've practised your glass cutting, we'll get on to making our final project.

The lessons are broken up into manageable sizes, and you can work through them at your own pace and repeat a lesson as often as you like. You can also join in with the community in the forum, where you can share ideas, ask for help and swap resources. I'll be popping in too, to help with any problems and give feedback.

I’m so excited for you to join me, and I can’t wait to see what everyone makes!

IMAGE © DOMESTIKA

Period Living Magazine: Made in Britain Feature, March 2022 issue

I was recently featured in the March 2022 issue of Period Living magazine as part of their Made in Britain series, which focuses on British artists and craftspeople who work using traditional skills and techniques.

Victorian stained Glass front door with bespoke painted CENTREPIECES

A pair of bespoke hand-painted centrepieces for this stunning Victorian front door set, made by Apollo Stained Glass. The brief was for a design of brightly coloured gerberas, with an insect to represent each of the familiy’s 4 children (bee, dragonfly, ladybird and butterfly). Each panel was fired several times in a kiln, to build up the layers of detail and colours.

FAMILY CREST STAINED GLASS WINDOW

A commission from earlier this year - a stained glass window for a bathroom featuring the family crest. The elephant was painted with grisaille paints on clear glass and then silver-stained over two firings to achieve the variations in the yellow colour. Technically quite challenging but I was really pleased with the end result!

Below is the original artwork for the crest that I worked from, and a couple of work-in-progress shots.

Three windows for a private hOme in dublin

Designed and constructed over 5 months, these three windows were commissioned for a private home in Dublin, Ireland.

POND WINDOW

The design features apple tree branches and a pond, with associated flora and fauna. Hidden amongst the undergrowth are some secret Studio Ghibli characters: Totoro, Catbus, Little Totoro, Ponyo and Sosuke.

WAVE WINDOW

A contemporary take on the classic Japanese wave motif, with sea creatures lurking beneath.

TREE WINDOW

A tree in silhouette at twilight, with 5 contemporary birds perched in the branches. The flowers in the foreground were chosen for their significance in Irish flower folklore: red clover for good luck, bluebells for truth and primroses for protection.

Homes & Antiques Magazine Feature

A feature in Homes and Antiques magazine, April 2019 edition.

In Her Studio / Project Calm Press Features

Some recent press features - an American publication called In Her Studio, and Project Calm, a UK magazine.

In Her Studio spread 1

In Her Studio spread 2

In Her Studio spread 3

In Her Studio spread 4

Project Calm

CONTEMPORARY STAINED GLASS BOUQUET #3

A new bouquet panel, the third I have made (you can see the others here). This was commissioned as a 1st anniversary gift, and the design was inspired by the bride’s wedding bouquet, which was made by Tupelo Tree, and was made up of seasonal, native foliage as well as beautiful dahlias and ranunculus. There are also a few imaginary blooms in there, because what’s not to love about an imaginary flower. The border was based on the one that surrounded the wedding invitations, which were designed by the groom.

CONTEMPORARY STAINED GLASS DOOR PANELS FOR A 1960S HOUSE

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The brief for these front door panels, for a 1960s house in Kent, was to design something that referenced 1960s design but also sat comfortably alongside the existing Victorian stained glass in the period houses in the rest of the street.

The client listed a selection of artists and designers whose work appealed, including Josef Albers, Marimekko and Orla Kiely, and the theme of the panels was based on an old apple tree in the garden that had special meaning to the family.

The windows were designed, painted and constructed by Flora Jamieson, and fitted by R. G. Croudace Glass.

Studio Tour

Some images taken from a recent studio tour, on the Little Green Shed blog, in collaboration with Seasalt Cornwall.

An Illustrated Guide to Wild Swimming

WILD SWIMMING
An introduction to swimming outdoors
in rivers, lakes, pools, waterfalls and sea.
 
Written by Flora Jamieson
Illustrated by Gemma Koomen
 
This short guide is aimed at the novice wild swimmer and contains practical tips on how to find places to swim, health and safety advice, inspiring quotes and resources.  It is illustrated throughout its 24 pages with Gemma Koomen’s delightful paintings.
 
The idea for the project came (as they often do) in the middle of the night.  I had been invited to give a talk on wild swimming at Sisterhood Camp, a creative retreat for women held annually at Fforest in Wales in June this year.  As part of the talk, I wanted to produce a short fact sheet with some key points on it, but I couldn’t find the enthusiasm to sit down and write it – it just felt dry and didn’t capture the magic I felt when swimming that I wanted to share with others.
 
Around the same time, I discovered the artwork of Gemma Koomen on Instagram, and instantly felt a connection with it.  It was her painting of 2 children riding on a swan’s back that really spoke to me – the image was so similar to a daydream I used to have as a child – my go-to mental image when I couldn’t fall asleep; I would picture myself floating down a river on the soft down of a swan’s back.
 
Suddenly it became clear what I needed to do – turn the fact sheet into an illustrated guide that portrayed the beauty and wonder of bathing in nature.  I approached Gemma to see if she would be interested in collaborating on the project, and thankfully she loved the idea. Printed by Taylor Brothers in Bristol (who print Cereal Magazine) on 160gsm 100% recycled paper, the book is as lovely to hold as it is to read.
 
Copies are now available for sale via my online shop. It has already been featured by The Outdoor Swimming Society and Wild Swimming Publishing.

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91 Magazine Interview →

Interviewed by 91 Magazine, as part of their Meet The Maker series.

Loop d Loop collaboration featured on Design Milk

My contemporary stained glass collaboration with Feist Forest was featured on Design Milk.  Exciting times.