HAMPTON & BAYSIDE LEADLIGHT
Bellman Stained Glass Windows
The bathroom contemporary stained glass window (1600mm x 790mm) was commissioned as part of a house renovation in Northcote, Victoria. The brief was developed in conjunction with the client, it became apparent early in the consultation process that this window would require very specific colour graduations combined with textural elements that could be achieved with stained glass paints and a high kiln temperature, picking up texture from the kiln shelf. This use of the kiln removes the original texture from the glass so that a large range of machined glasses could be selected for colour alone with no regard to the texture which would be replaced by the kiln shelf.
With this technique in place, element of colour transitions became the focus. The colour concept came from the oxidisation of copper. We explored the transitions from the orange bronze, copper, burnt sienna, verdigris, jade, turquoise, water green, moving through the blues. The secondary element was a tonal transition from dark to light moving up the window to create a sense of transcendence. Time was spent refining the transitions between adjoining glass pieces, replacing colours to create a greater sense of harmony and balance in the movement.
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The painted dragonfly (a favourite motif of the client’s) provides a playful “surprise” element that echoes the natural movement in the window’s overall design. Given the house’s Edwardian origins, the dragonfly is a stylistic nod to Louis Comfort Tiffany and the Art Nouveau movement.
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This window does not aim to impress by demanding attention. Its value comes from subtle, calming beauty. The art work is a quiet celebration of harmonious colour and organic texture.
These three internal door stained glass windows were designed to stylistically link the internal spaces using predominantly clear kiln textured glass. With minimal use of colour in the windows, line plays a dominate role.
The study highlight windows (330mm x 1480mm) lean toward ocean colours and the play of light in water. Care and attention were paid to the use of dark tones and the clear whites. Because this is a set of highlight windows, with large clear glass below, these windows needed to contrast with the clear glass to be a feature of the room. But they also needed to be light enough in colour to avoid feeling heavy and dark in the space. The black bream in the centre panel consolidates the aquatic theme and has a double connection for the client, being common to Port Phillip Bay and Gippsland – where the client spends the summer.
