Commissions

Alan Martin Russell (1952 – 2022)

A few years after installing the first two windows at St. Philomena’s, I was deeply honoured when another parishioner asked me to create a second set of memorial windows in loving memory of her late husband, Alan Martin Russell. She told me Alan had been a great admirer of the first memorial panels, and after his passing, they made the heartfelt decision to sell the boat they cherished and use the proceeds to commission a memorial window for St. Philomena’s. This second set features two round-topped windows, located adjacent to the first in mirror image. Alan’s passions for sailing and music were central to the design. My client suggested the story of “Jesus Calls the Fishermen,” in which Jesus, walking along the Sea of Galilee, sees the brothers Simon (Peter) and Andrew fishing. He calls, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Without hesitation, they leave their nets and follow Him. In the artwork, Jesus is shown prominently in the taller left-hand panel, gazing toward the fishermen who work with their nets in the distance on the right. A lute rests inside the fishing boat—a tender nod to Alan’s love of music and his frequent guitar playing during Mass. Native birds fly overhead, and sea pinks bloom in the foreground, gently tying this design to the first set of windows and creating a sense of continuity and peace.

Jamie Turner Trophy

My client approached me with a heartfelt idea: to create a unique fishing trophy in memory of his late brother, Jamie Turner, a passionate fisherman who shared many seasons on the water with him. The goal was to design a piece that could be awarded each fishing season, keeping Jamie’s spirit alive while celebrating the ongoing tradition they both loved. The brief called for a rustic, timeless design featuring a brown trout with ample space for medallions to be added annually for each season’s winner. To bring this idea to life, I commissioned an organically shaped wooden base and created the glass element using fusing and painting techniques. I aimed to capture the trout mid-leap, surrounded by splashing water, to convey a sense of movement and vitality. A brass nameplate was added to complete the piece.

Prestwick vestibule door and glazed kitchen partition window

This client commissioned me on two occasions: first, to create a vestibule door, and later, a suite of six panels for an arched partition wall between her kitchen and living room. The vestibule door was the initial commission and was designed to complement the existing stained glass panels in her porch. To achieve this, I took a simple motif from the original glasswork and incorporated it into my design. The client preferred that the panels be understated and elegant, so I worked exclusively with clear glass in varying textures, adding bevelled border pieces to gently catch and reflect the light. The arched partition panels were designed to harmonise with the door, each featuring a simple repeated central motif again drawn from the original glass and crafted in the same palette of textured clear glass. The result is a subtle, minimalist installation that gently complements the architecture of the client’s home and reflects her refined taste.

C.F.A Voysey Garden of Eden Panels

I was approached by a client seeking two sets of door panels for her home. She shared that her husband’s great-grandfather was the renowned Arts and Crafts architect C.F.A. Voysey, and they wanted the panels to be inspired by his iconic designs, as they took great pride in their Voysey heritage. As ecologists and foresters, they were especially drawn to designs featuring plants and animals. After presenting several options, the chosen design was an interpretation of Voysey’s “Garden of Eden.” This design showcases a vibrant array of colourful birds perched on twisting tree branches, surrounded by bright green leaves, berries, and flowers. The panels also include the red squirrel which features in the Garden of Eden design and also an owl inspired by another Voysey textile design my client admired and which I incorporated into the glasswork. To capture the lightness of the design and maximize natural light in the client’s hallway, I used etched flashed glass set against a clear glass background. The paintwork was kept light and simple, allowing the colours to sing and the clean, elegant lines of the design to truly shine.

St Philomena’s Memorial Windows Kate Nelson (1951 – 2019)

I was honoured to be commissioned to create a memorial window for Kate Nelson, a beloved parishioner of St. Philomena’s Church in Winchburgh. I was allotted two round-topped windows in the church in which to depict the scene of the Annunciation—where the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary to announce that she had been chosen by God to conceive and give birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This biblical story was chosen because Kate was a schoolteacher. Kate also had a deep love for Tighnabruaich on the West Coast of Scotland, where she spent many happy times. Therefore, the design is set in this location and features the nearby Caladh Beacon, along with a carpet of sea pinks—common coastal flowers in the area. The challenge was to create a design that would convey this expansive story while fitting into two windows of different sizes and spaced apart. I achieved this by positioning Mary kneeling in the shorter window, with the Angel Gabriel in the upper part of the taller window above the lighthouse. The sea pinks and dedication panels complete the composition at the bottom of both panels. I used a variety of beautiful handblown flashed glass which was deeply etched and painted to create the finished windows.

Goldfinch Bathroom window

This design was commissioned by a client who had admired a previous goldfinch piece featured on my website and requested a variation tailored specifically for the bathroom of his traditional Glasgow tenement flat. At the time, he was working with a specialist window framing company to install new sash windows in keeping with the character of the property. I designed the panels to complement this period style while adding my own unique, personal touch. The two triple glazed encapsulated stained glass panels feature a composition of goldfinches perched on waving stylised branches, adorned with deep red berries and lush green leaves. The piece is finished off with a frame of rich orange glass and brings warmth, colour, and a quiet sense of nature into the space, beautifully complimenting the architectural heritage of the property. The panels were crafted using a combination of textured clear glass to ensure privacy, alongside beautiful handblown coloured glass and intricately hand-painted details to bring the birds and foliage to life.

Harvest Hares

This panel was created for a new hairdressing salon in Glasgow and features two hares in an autumnal wheat field. I had previously designed a hare panel for the client’s first salon, and I was delighted to be invited to create a second piece for his new premises. To maintain consistency with his overall brand identity, he requested a design that echoed the original. I used the same graphic style and key motifs, but with a fresh composition. While the first panel featured a single hare, this new piece includes two, symbolising the opening of his second location. For this commission, I used a combination of fused and leaded glass. Due to the size and weight of the panel, I kept the leadwork to a simple grid, allowing it to be constructed in smaller sections and reinforced with internal steels. As the panel is primarily viewed from the outside, I began with a semi-opaque opal white base and layered powdered glass colours on top to ensure the design remains vibrant, even without direct interior light.

Lighthouse Door Panel

My client asked me to create a deeply personal piece for her new front door, featuring a lighthouse and a quote by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung. The design also needed to complement the existing stained glass transom window above the door. To achieve this, I incorporated motifs from the original window to create a decorative border that frames the lighthouse scene. The lighthouse itself is set in a calm coastal landscape, with warm, fluffy clouds and muted, traditional colours that suit the character of her beautiful Glasgow tenement home. The piece holds special meaning for the client, as the lighthouse reminds her of her late father, who was a guiding light in her life. In her youth, he introduced her to Jung’s ideas and used them to teach her important life lessons. Sadly, he passed away shortly after she bought the house, making this piece not only decorative, but also a tribute. The quote, "Synchronicity is an ever-present reality for those who have eyes to see," is included in handwritten script at the base of the lighthouse.

Twilight wood

This two-panel stained glass design was commissioned by a client with a deep love for bats. The only specific request she had was that the design should include a brown long-eared bat, a species known for its large, expressive ears and gentle presence. In researching the bat, I discovered that it is most active from dusk to dawn and typically inhabits woodland environments, where it hunts for insects such as moths. This inspired me to create a twilight woodland scene, capturing the bat in its natural setting. I imagined colourful moths fluttering through glowing trees, providing a magical and complementary backdrop. The panels are crafted using a mix of handblown coloured glass and clear glass airbrushed with transparent enamels, which allowed me to produce a soft ombre sunset effect that transitions beautifully across the panels. The design also features twinkling star constellations and a waxing crescent moon, which is a symbol of hope and new beginnings.

Japanese Blossoms

This front door transom window and matching lantern were commissioned by a client who greatly admired the work of the ‘Glasgow Four’—particularly the sisters Margaret MacDonald Mackintosh and Frances MacDonald McNair. She had an empty square space in her hallway, created by the shape of the staircase, and wanted something beautiful that would bring both light and visual interest to the area. I proposed a lantern with three stained glass panels, designed to be appreciated from multiple angles as one ascends or descends the stairs. Both the lantern and transom feature a design of white cherry blossoms set against a deep blue background, drawing inspiration from the MacDonald sisters' love of Japanese art. This influence is reflected in the emphasis on simplicity, harmony, and a deep connection with nature—alongside bold graphic elements and vibrant colour. The panels were crafted using a stunning flashed blue glass, which was etched at varying depths to create a range of soft blue tones for the background blossoms, and clear areas for the foreground flowers. Traditional glass paints and enamels were then used to add detail and depth.

Sweetpea Privacy Screens

This fused and leaded triptych of panels was created for a client who wanted some privacy from the busy street while relaxing by the window. The brief was to design panels that could be easily removed for window cleaning, while floating at a certain height to maximise privacy. The challenge was to find a suitable solution for hanging the panels that would be both robust enough to support their weight while also being slimline and discreet. The final design incorporated brass cladding, providing enough rigidity and support to allow each panel to rest on a small U-shaped channel bracket at each end. The design is an abstract interpretation of delicate Sweetpea flowers. The flowing, organic lines and soft colour gradients mimic the fluid nature of these blossoms, with their petals gently unfolding and intertwining. The vibrant hues and the overlapping shapes evoke a sense of movement and life, complementing the client’s décor and bringing a little touch of nature indoors.

Claddagh Door Panels and Fanlight

Commissioned by a client who wanted a Claddagh inspired design in subtle tones of green and gold. Door panels were encapsulated in double-glazing to suit the client’s existing doors. The panels also incorporate green hand spun glass rondels and a beveled glass border.

Goldfinch and Thistles Door Panel

A Scottish themed stained glass window commissioned as a present for a person who likes Goldfinches. The panel is quite small so the design was created using mainly etching, painting and enameling of a green base glass to avoid the use of chunky leads and keep the bird looking detailed and delicate.

Golden Bee Door Panel

An understated design commissioned by a client to compliment the Timorous Beasties ‘Napolean Bee’ wallpaper in their bathroom. The central bee was hand painted and a beveled glass border was added to bring a little sparkle.

Moonlight Hare Door Panel

A client who loves hares and collects hare art commissioned this piece. She requested apiece featuring a hare in the moonlight. A combination of purple and blue antique glasses was used to suggest a nighttime scene in a vibrant and colourful way.

Hebridean Shoreline

This piece was made for a client on the Isle of Lewis and is inspired by the patterns created by water lapping over glistening pebbles on the shoreline. It was made from a combination of clear and opal glass painted and enameled with a scattering of glass lenses.

Scriptures Door Panels

This piece was made for client approached me with a small amount of broken stained glass panels that had been discarded from a church, then saved and stored in a loft for years. The panels were badly broken but had some lovely painted scripture panels worth saving. I used some of the lovely panels of script to make to new door panels from the clients hall.

Canterbury Cathedral

This stained glass piece entitled Gathering is installed in the cloisters of Canterbury Cathedral. It was inspired by the image of golden field of wheat, which is a soothing warming sight that also has significant spiritual meaning. The design was selected from a shortlist of ten proposals submitted by invited glass artists.

Water lily Door Panel

A simple cut and leaded door panel to add character and light to a client’s hallway while retaining privacy in the bathroom. The inner petals of the Water lily are made from a white opal glass that glows in the sunlight.

Brazilian Birds Fanlight

This piece was made for a client who wanted a reminder of his time in Brazil. He told me that he and his partner learned the Portuguese language by naming the birds they saw by their colours. The panel features colourful native birds and flowers on green antique flashed glass that has been deeply etched, painted and enameled.

Wildflower Garden Triptych

3 stained glass panels made for a front door inspired by a lush Scottish wildflower meadow with Thistles, Bluebells and Butterflies.

Red Poppies Stairwell Window

This piece was commissioned by a couple that built their own house and wanted a bespoke stained glass window on their stairwell. They chose this lovely bright red poppy design and later commissioned me to make to complimentary sidelights, which were installed opposite this window, either side of the front door.

Arts and Crafts Style Blue Poppies

Two stained glass windows designed and made for the Prince’s Eco House at The Ideal Home show. The house was designed as low carbon home that combines eco-friendly recycled materials and good quality handcrafted pieces made by local artists and craftspeople.

Llangorse Lake Bird Hide Window

This semi-circular window was made for a special bespoke bird hide on the edge of Llnagorse Lake in Wales. It features birds and grasses native to the area that can be spotted from the hide and was made and installed through the Prince’s Foundation craft apprenticeship program.

Bee Fruitful

This is a fused glass commission installed in the Botanical Gardens in Dundee. The piece was designed to highlight the plight of the honeybee and was inspired by Ancient Egyptian colours and hieroglyphs. The bees were drawn by hand then silkscreened onto hexagonal black glass tiles in layers capped with clear glass then fused.

Highland Stag Sculpture

This piece was commissioned as a gift and was designed as a freestanding piece so the recipient could place it wherever they want. The stained glass panel was design to fit this custom made rustic bark-edged stand and features a majestic highland stag surrounded by thistles in the misty twilight.

Pansy Pattern Tiffany Style Lampshade

This is a Tiffany style lampshade in the pansy pattern custom made in greens, reds blues and yellows using the copper foil technique. Mounted on clients own lamp base.

Green Stained Glass Sidelights

Two stained glass sidelight panels designed to compliment client’s original red poppy commission. The panels were made using the same green glass used in the poppy window and were installed either side of the front door in the clients home.

Get in touch

If you are interested in a stained glass commission please get in touch.