Painting with Light: Stained Glass artist Juliet Forrest

Read Time: 8 mins

Stained Glass Artist Juliet Forrest is fascinated with the way the texture, shape and colour of glass manipulates light and how light itself brings glass to life.

Juliet loves nature, wildlife, and the natural world. She loves animals and even down to base cellular structures in microscopic imagery. This is reflected in Juliet’s newly created work ‘Into the Deep’, part of our latest exhibition ‘PROCESS’, which opened to the public on the 25th of March.

The detail achieved is tremendous and boasts of Juliet’s expert skill and materials knowledge. ‘Into the Deep’ utilises fusing and painting to achieve its 3D and tactile design. Juliet utilises liquid stringer and cut glass pieces to capture our oceans’ organic, ever-flowing forms. To intensify this oceanic atmosphere, Juliet uses frit to capture the texture of the water, inviting the viewer into an underwater world.

You can see even more of this texture and detail achieved in Juliet’s work ‘Gorgonian Paradise’, which we are thrilled to have in our hybrid hot shop studio space. Stained Glass painting is a crucial element of Juliet’s practice, which sharpens her seascapes and gives a tremendous depth to the scene. Juliet was awarded a ‘Best Newcomer’ award for her work at the British Glass Biennale in 2022. 

To view the full effect of Juliet’s Gorgonian Paradise, click or tap the images to explore more detail. 

Gorgonian Paradise, 2022, Wall-mounted framed panel with integrated lightbox. Gorgonian Paradise, 2022 (detail)

“I have done a lot of diving as well, I was scared, but it is just so mellow, and every little nook and cranny is filled with something amazing and beautiful.”

Juliet Forrest

Juliet also works on a commission based, guided by the customer; sometimes, people love certain animals or are enthralled by certain poems. When speaking with our Marketing and Content Coordinator, Leanne, she couldn’t help but mention her unique works depicting foxes. A very fond commission was inspired by Ohara Koson (小原 古邨, Kanazawa 1877 – Tokyo 1945), who ‘was a Japanese painter and print designer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, part of the Shin-hanga (“new prints”) movement’. One of Juliet’s Clients had a beautiful fox wood print created in this Shin-hanga style, so they wanted a piece in Glass which was in the spirit of this original work. 

Alongside seeking out nature to inform her dazzling works, nature sometimes comes to her! She is regularly visited by foxes, and she considers them her muses. In her own words… ‘There was a family who would be in the neighbouring allotment, and you could see the little babies playing, and mum came along and wanted to eat some apples, so I rolled an apple down to her, and it landed at her feet! She looked at me like thank you! Pure magic.’

After Juliet completed her zoology degree, she founded a handmade card business. Her part-time job allowed her to work creatively, and Juliet found Landscape painting. Very early in these initial works, you can see Juliet’s forensic eye for the slightest detail, particularly in her piece ‘Froggatt edge painting’ (pictured below). You can see how this mastering of works on canvas has translated into Juliet’s magical Stained-glass painting.

Juliet reflects on life post-painting, as she was made redundant from her part-time job, so she was raring to go with Glass! In her words, ‘Glass took over, and I was going since 2014, so I was just for fun dabbling, but I was completely taken by the material. I was making little things and then selling; it just took over! I got larger pieces, and then I got my own kiln – so I haven’t touched a normal paintbrush for about 7 years!’

Another revenue stream for Stained-Glass artists is restoration, which is very labour intensive, which is also complicated by Mouthblown sheet glass entering the Red List of Endangered Crafts by Heritage Crafts Association due to English Antique Glass ceasing production of Mouth Blown sheet Glass in 2022. Juliet has about 10 sheets of English antique Glass, which she is saving for a particularly unique piece of work.

‘Mouth Blown glass is made via ‘gathering on the end of the blowpipe and is coloured by rolling in intensely coloured globs of glass known as frit. When the glass is the right size and shape it is gradually blown and shaped, continuously re-heating it, into a long wide bulb. Once the right shape is achieved the hot glass is cut open at both ends so that it becomes an open cylinder or tube which then must cool and anneal. The cylinder is then cut along its length and reheated, during which it is carefully flattened out to become a sheet of coloured glass.’ – Heritage Crafts Association

So, what’s the future?

Juliet recognises many people are attending evening classes or self-taught, but this comes with a more challenging transition into the larger architectural and structural Glass. It’s a whole knowledge base that is becoming increasingly disparate, but it is still an exciting area to work with, especially if it matches the artistic vision. Juliet prioritises commissions and follows her creative vision as a Fine Artist, as Stained Glass is on the periphery. However, this recognition is improving through cross-disciplinary collaborations. For example, the windows by David Hockney for Westminster Abbey (pictured below), whatever you think about the final works, this sort of cross-pollination between different disciplines Is beneficial for the longevity of Stained Glass.

Dream Project

For Juliet, a more significant public commission with a relatively free artistic rein that matches her vision is her dream project; the idea of something big abroad is also exciting. Still, she loves working across the English countryside.

Ensuring your signature style is very important, and I’m sure all artists can relate to not losing themselves in large commissions. Thomas Denny is a person who can create work across churches, but they are getting that signature Thomas Denny window that when you are viewing them, you feel like you are in the eye of a storm. Leanne was fortunate to see one of these pieces at Great Malvern Priory, pictured below.

Currently, Juliet is working on an exciting wildlife composition with one central roundel depicting a raven and a full moon, more architectural wildlife roundels and bespoke door panels. Next up for Juliet is rebranding and the task which strikes fear into all artist’s hearts…sorting out the studio, reportedly happening swiftly after a lovely break in Dorset.

We can’t wait to see more from Juliet! Click below to check out her available works at Blowfish Glass UK.

Juliet Forrest’s available works

All art is unique and no two pieces in an edition are identical Click Here

Written by 

Leanne O’Connor 

Blowfish Glass UK ©