Tuesday 31 May 2011
Scole
Annie left for work at some outrageous hour this morning (she's a nurse at the local A&E) - I took things slightly more gently and left the house at 9am, heading for Scole, another Reyntiens window. Extremely bright colours and loads of sandwiched glass (detail below). Back to Kent.
Friday 27 May 2011
Collecting windows (4)
Today a drive from Southampton to Film Farm, passing through Ascot to see 2 Patrick windows in Heathfield School (girls very Sloaney!). Detail of one of windows below. 
Then to Nettlebed for 2 Piper/Reyntiens windows (detail of one below), rather satisfying. I have to admit that Piper windows do have a sense of calm and authority about them rather than the somewhat manic appearance of some of Patrick's windows. 
After that to a tiny T-shaped church at Pishill for a small memorial window also Piper/Reyntiens (detail below). 
Then to Bledlow Ridge, also JP/PR, gloriously secular to my mind, blues with pale and dark squares and circles, little white squiggles and red spirals (detail below). I see why Patrick once famously declared he was 'rather good at blue!' 
Then to Nettlebed for 2 Piper/Reyntiens windows (detail of one below), rather satisfying. I have to admit that Piper windows do have a sense of calm and authority about them rather than the somewhat manic appearance of some of Patrick's windows. After that to a tiny T-shaped church at Pishill for a small memorial window also Piper/Reyntiens (detail below). Then to Bledlow Ridge, also JP/PR, gloriously secular to my mind, blues with pale and dark squares and circles, little white squiggles and red spirals (detail below). I see why Patrick once famously declared he was 'rather good at blue!' And the last visit of the day, Totternhoe for a delightful JP/PR Tree of Life (detail below). 
A rather exhausted car rolled up at Film Farm late in the day, together with an overworked camera and a Libby who can't decide whether she is tired or not because she can't get off the roller coaster!
A couple of days working on the latest changes to the DVD and then off to see my cousin Annie in Norwich, a good chat and moan about the oldies followed by a long walk round the University of East Anglia site.
A rather exhausted car rolled up at Film Farm late in the day, together with an overworked camera and a Libby who can't decide whether she is tired or not because she can't get off the roller coaster!A couple of days working on the latest changes to the DVD and then off to see my cousin Annie in Norwich, a good chat and moan about the oldies followed by a long walk round the University of East Anglia site.
Thursday 26 May 2011
Collecting windows (3)
A Hampshire day and back to the car. First stop Odiham, All Saints, for 2 Reyntiens windows, Adoration of the Lamb in the east window and Tree of Jesse in the Lady chapel (detail of Lady chapel window below). 
Followed by Hinton Ampner which I really liked, two tall but narrow single lancets representing the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire, again almost abstract. Especially liked the right hand Fire window, in reds and blacks (detail below). The background to each window made up of small pieces of glass joined with dots giving the impression of a chemical formula!
Next stop the Wessex Hotel, Winchester for 12 foliate panels designed by Piper (one below). Quite fun and I had a mooch round town afterwards since I lived there for a few years back in the late 1970s. Memory lane!
And then the one I'd really been looking forward to seeing, St Mary's at Hound near Southampton, which Pevsner rates highly and Patrick himself considers the best design he's ever made (detail below). And it did not disappoint, although the church itself is in a pretty dire strait and kept alive by a local charitable group. More power to their joint elbows say I.
One thing that has forcibly struck me in the past few weeks is how generous the churches are, allowing me to use images for my catalogue, especially since many of the churches, Hound in particular, are struggling to keep going. I'm used to dealing with art galleries and museums who are notoriously grasping, even when all I want is images for research purposes and I always send my findings back to the archivists for their records. So 3 cheers for the religious establishments!
Stayed the night with Dominic and Gilly (oh, haven't you been introduced, my elder son and his wife who live in Bursledon and own a barge and a yacht and sail and mess around in boats and design boats and race boats ... and sail!)
Followed by Hinton Ampner which I really liked, two tall but narrow single lancets representing the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire, again almost abstract. Especially liked the right hand Fire window, in reds and blacks (detail below). The background to each window made up of small pieces of glass joined with dots giving the impression of a chemical formula! Next stop the Wessex Hotel, Winchester for 12 foliate panels designed by Piper (one below). Quite fun and I had a mooch round town afterwards since I lived there for a few years back in the late 1970s. Memory lane!And then the one I'd really been looking forward to seeing, St Mary's at Hound near Southampton, which Pevsner rates highly and Patrick himself considers the best design he's ever made (detail below). And it did not disappoint, although the church itself is in a pretty dire strait and kept alive by a local charitable group. More power to their joint elbows say I.One thing that has forcibly struck me in the past few weeks is how generous the churches are, allowing me to use images for my catalogue, especially since many of the churches, Hound in particular, are struggling to keep going. I'm used to dealing with art galleries and museums who are notoriously grasping, even when all I want is images for research purposes and I always send my findings back to the archivists for their records. So 3 cheers for the religious establishments!Stayed the night with Dominic and Gilly (oh, haven't you been introduced, my elder son and his wife who live in Bursledon and own a barge and a yacht and sail and mess around in boats and design boats and race boats ... and sail!)
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Collecting windows (2)
Armed with my new railcard I headed off to London and was muchly satisfied by the reduced fare! First stop St Margaret's, St Margaret's Road, St Margaret's! A very modern church (well for 1970) by Austin Winckley and now Grade II listed. A clerestory window above the altar which reminded me of a poached egg (below) and a narrow sliver in greys and blues behind the Baptistery.
Thence to St Theodore of Canterbury in Hampton, a small low-budget Catholic church also designed by Winckley. Four tiny windows here, a Supper at Emmaus, two narrow windows either side of the Tabernacle, and then a truly delightful Penitence window (St Peter and a cockerel) in the Confessional. Hardly anyone except the Priest views that one - so here's a sneak preview.
Last stop the Barn Church, Kew, so named because it is actually formed from a 17th country barn, with old threshing stones in the entrance and 17th century bricks for the exterior. A delightful place, rather Arts and Crafts in style so Patrick's almost abstract window fitted perfectly with (possibly) an angel/girl and definitely a beautiful garland of flowers, all in yellows, mauves and purples - and NO hand painting, remarkable itself for a Reyntiens window.
A wander back to Kew Gardens station and since I hadn't stopped for lunch and it was a glorious day I treated myself to a cappuccino, sitting on the pavement in the sun, reading my notes.
Thence to St Theodore of Canterbury in Hampton, a small low-budget Catholic church also designed by Winckley. Four tiny windows here, a Supper at Emmaus, two narrow windows either side of the Tabernacle, and then a truly delightful Penitence window (St Peter and a cockerel) in the Confessional. Hardly anyone except the Priest views that one - so here's a sneak preview.Last stop the Barn Church, Kew, so named because it is actually formed from a 17th country barn, with old threshing stones in the entrance and 17th century bricks for the exterior. A delightful place, rather Arts and Crafts in style so Patrick's almost abstract window fitted perfectly with (possibly) an angel/girl and definitely a beautiful garland of flowers, all in yellows, mauves and purples - and NO hand painting, remarkable itself for a Reyntiens window.A wander back to Kew Gardens station and since I hadn't stopped for lunch and it was a glorious day I treated myself to a cappuccino, sitting on the pavement in the sun, reading my notes.
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Collecting windows (1)
OK, I admit it, I'm getting obsessive about collecting Patrick's windows, but it's partly for my lectures and partly for the article I've got to write for the Decorative Arts Society by the end of July and partly for the catalogue - which I really do think some publisher ought to take up and give me the time and means to develop into a proper academic work. It would look superb for one thing and would inspire people to get out and about and visit the works in situ. And it would prove that Patrick was not just the amanuensis of Piper. Such a tome is long overdue methinks.Anyway today I drove up to St Lawrence College, Ramsgate and was pleasantly surprised. I got to know the town fairly well when researching for a book about Pugin's church with my friend Gill Hunter back in 2000. Unfortunately becoming familiar with the town did not endear it to either of us. Anyway St Lawrence College is in a beautiful setting, lovely old buildings, extremely helpful and friendly staff and the windows rather glorious. The main window (which happens to be the west window since the chapel faces that direction) has joyful colouring and an almost abstract design (although being Patrick there's buckets of symbolism in there) so can be viewed on all levels by the pupils. Detail of that window above. The tracery glass was designed by Piper and made by David Wasley, the remainder designed and made by Patrick, so rather an oddity. Patrick also designed the much more deeply coloured rose window in the balcony.
Monday 23 May 2011
addenda
For some unknown reason I couldn't fit these in the previous blog! Above, some beautiful pigeons looking in through a shop window, below Robinson College, Cambridge tympanum.
Below, detail of Lowesby window.
One of the abstract windows at Tewin below.
And a detail from East Knoyle.Sunday 22 May 2011
a long and winding road
Tuesday 10th May I set off for Thornton and for a couple of days took my 95 yr old aunt and 92 yr old mother around the countryside (the best bit was when they sat admiring the North Bay, Scarborough, eating Mr Whippy ice creams!) Unfortunately I didn't take a photograph. Thence down to Film Farm via a Piper/Reyntiens stained glass window in Misterton (below). Wrote some voice overs for Patrick.
Charles has decided it would be better if we visited Patrick together (probably doesn't trust me with his high-faluting sound system - and I don't blame him!) so we set off for Somerset Friday, staying near Beaminster and having dinner at the Wild Garlic run by Matt Follas (of Masterchef fame) and excellent it was too until the next day's meal!
Saturday off to Patrick's and he performed the voice-overs brilliantly, then answered some of my interminable questions about previous commissions until it was obvious he'd had enough, at which point he retired to the kitchen to provide us with a splendid meal of chicken Kiev and 'peasyrice' followed by a choice of ice cream and yog or apple pie. For someone who rarely bothers about lunch, apart from a lettuce leaf on the fly, this was a huge undertaking for me, a gargantuan meal. Unfortunately I couldn't partake of the alcoholic beverages since I'm the chauffeur on these expeditions, but Charles had a very liquid lunch - sherry, much wine and then the local Temperley apple brandy which he considered EXCELLENT! I showed Patrick my catalogue to date and he appeared to be more than somewhat impressed - which makes everything worthwhile! Photos of Patrick and me in the kitchen, and part of Patrick's amazing selection of art materials in the kitchen.
In fact the brandy was so excellent that when Patrick had got rid of us we drove round there and bought some brandy, cider and Hix cherries for Film Farm's cellar and larder. With the afternoon free we drove to Lyme Regis but failed to spot any ammonites and then on to Axminster and another visit to Hugh F-W's Canteen, which was just great. Simple fare, simple surroundings, but just fabulous food (shame the wine prices are so high). Needless to say, these gastronomic delights are not part of the budget but funded from our own pockets since we enjoy good food and one has to have some fun in life! A slightly manic looking filmmaker below!
Sunday drove back to FF but I insisted on bagging more churches en route so first it was East Knoyle (wonderful plasterwork by Sir Christopher Wren no less - his old man was Rector there at one point - and an amazing mosaic reredos). One Patrick window.
Charles has decided it would be better if we visited Patrick together (probably doesn't trust me with his high-faluting sound system - and I don't blame him!) so we set off for Somerset Friday, staying near Beaminster and having dinner at the Wild Garlic run by Matt Follas (of Masterchef fame) and excellent it was too until the next day's meal!Saturday off to Patrick's and he performed the voice-overs brilliantly, then answered some of my interminable questions about previous commissions until it was obvious he'd had enough, at which point he retired to the kitchen to provide us with a splendid meal of chicken Kiev and 'peasyrice' followed by a choice of ice cream and yog or apple pie. For someone who rarely bothers about lunch, apart from a lettuce leaf on the fly, this was a huge undertaking for me, a gargantuan meal. Unfortunately I couldn't partake of the alcoholic beverages since I'm the chauffeur on these expeditions, but Charles had a very liquid lunch - sherry, much wine and then the local Temperley apple brandy which he considered EXCELLENT! I showed Patrick my catalogue to date and he appeared to be more than somewhat impressed - which makes everything worthwhile! Photos of Patrick and me in the kitchen, and part of Patrick's amazing selection of art materials in the kitchen.In fact the brandy was so excellent that when Patrick had got rid of us we drove round there and bought some brandy, cider and Hix cherries for Film Farm's cellar and larder. With the afternoon free we drove to Lyme Regis but failed to spot any ammonites and then on to Axminster and another visit to Hugh F-W's Canteen, which was just great. Simple fare, simple surroundings, but just fabulous food (shame the wine prices are so high). Needless to say, these gastronomic delights are not part of the budget but funded from our own pockets since we enjoy good food and one has to have some fun in life! A slightly manic looking filmmaker below!Sunday drove back to FF but I insisted on bagging more churches en route so first it was East Knoyle (wonderful plasterwork by Sir Christopher Wren no less - his old man was Rector there at one point - and an amazing mosaic reredos). One Patrick window.Then to Tewin where there were 4 Patrick windows, one very like the Annunciation at Ampleforth, the other 3 purely abstract (so I rather liked them!)
The remainder of the week was spent adding Patrick's voice-overs and painstakingly going through the 7 pages of changes desired by the clients.
Friday I visited Lowesby to see the Reyntiens window and drove back to Kent on Saturday 21st via Cambridge for another look at the Robinson College windows. My poor old car really is getting a bit of a flogging - she's done a mere 148,000 miles!
The remainder of the week was spent adding Patrick's voice-overs and painstakingly going through the 7 pages of changes desired by the clients.
Friday I visited Lowesby to see the Reyntiens window and drove back to Kent on Saturday 21st via Cambridge for another look at the Robinson College windows. My poor old car really is getting a bit of a flogging - she's done a mere 148,000 miles!
Monday 9 May 2011
more changes
We sent off the revised DVD but apparently yet more changes are required - this is becoming design by committee - want a horse, get a camel. So I'm back at Film Farm 12th May, have to record Patrick in Somerset that weekend and back to the edit suite to hopefully produce a final version of the DVD with which everyone is satisfied. Please, please, please, cross fingers etc etc etc!!!!!!
Meanwhile I have been producing a catalogue of Patrick's work which will be an added extra on the DVD and am pretty chuffed with same it has to be said, although a huge amount of work (not in the budget unfortunately!) So why am I such an idiot, producing all this work for no personal benefit - probably just because I really do believe Patrick is a seminal figure, a one-off, unique, and I want people to appreciate what he has contributed to the development of stained glass over the last 50 years or so.
Meanwhile I have been producing a catalogue of Patrick's work which will be an added extra on the DVD and am pretty chuffed with same it has to be said, although a huge amount of work (not in the budget unfortunately!) So why am I such an idiot, producing all this work for no personal benefit - probably just because I really do believe Patrick is a seminal figure, a one-off, unique, and I want people to appreciate what he has contributed to the development of stained glass over the last 50 years or so.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)