Glass Art Memorials Celebrating Loved Ones Past, Present and Future

Remembrance of a loved one is often at the forefront of our minds, especially close to the Centenary anniversary of Armistice Day this November. So, this seems an appropriate time to share with you a bespoke commission I undertook to create a commemorative Stained Glass Art Memorials piece to celebrate the life of a much loved and missed family member. My client, Katie Campbell, has kindly agreed to me sharing the development and creation of a decorative glass memorial artwork I made for her family in memory of her beloved Nan.

Katie said: ‘After much research, we chose to use glass as we know it would last forever and catch the light when the sun rises and sets.’ Katie chose to work with me as she wanted a totally unique memorial that would be hand crafted to ensure it fitted within a specific marble section of her Nans headstone and be designed to complement the Art Deco style of the grave. Katie was also keen that the composition of the glass piece demonstrated that her Nan was a much loved part of the family and honour her with a more contemporary design that would be admired and appreciated by both current and future generations.

As with all commissions I undertake for a personalised piece of glass art, I worked closely with my client to develop design ideas and focus on particular colours and elements that would enable me to produce a detailed and personalised composition. I liaise regularly with family and friends to ensure I create a beautiful and fitting tribute that will encapsulate the memories they have of their loved one.

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This artistic celebration of life can encompass images of the persons’ interests or favourite things and feature colours that have symbolic meaning for the person and their family. Unique designs can be enhanced by using coloured or textured glass and I can also incorporate some coloured decorative glass items to offer more surface interest and additional sparkle, as the glass refracts the light.

After discussions with Katie and her family I came up with a selection of creative ideas for their consideration. Based upon the feedback from the family, and taking on board their own ideas and input, we finalised a design that they felt encompassed the essence of their Nan.

I then sent the family a range of glass samples for them to choose from and they selected colours that they felt represented both them as a family and their loved one.

By working closely with loved ones left behind, I endeavour to capture the essence of the person who has passed away by creating a timeless tribute with great skill and care. Katie had told me that her family wanted the design to tell a story and represent her Nan as the centre of their world. Together, we agreed that using a concept featuring the sun as the core element worked really well.

The design was then adapted to embody a totally personalised tribute to her extended family. Katie said: ‘The blue running through the ‘sun’ represented my Grandfather and the three ‘beams’ coming off the sun are my Nans three sons, who each chose a colour to symbolise them. The gems within the surrounding area were chosen by each of the grandchildren and represents eternal life as the family continues to grow through future generations.’

Upon completion of the project and with the stained glass piece now in place on the grave, I was thrilled to receive an email from Katie stating that ‘my Dad, two uncles and Grandfather have all been over to see it and we are all so very pleased with how well it has come together. The photos we have taken do not do it justice and we are all so very happy with the glass piece!’

It’s great to get such positive feedback from another satisfied customer; I thoroughly enjoyed working with the family on this project and find it extremely rewarding to have helped them create such a fitting tribute to their loved one. As with Katie’s family, I am happy to discuss individual requirements and budgets in order to create a bespoke glass memorial, this could be for example in the form of a stained glass piece of artwork, engraved and sandblasted glass plaque or sculpture.  I will then draw up a shortlist of designs made to my clients’ specification and based upon ideas discussed, or any images or ‘mood boards’ they may like to supply.

I create and supply bespoke memorial glass pieces and engraved glass plaques alongside the core business of my glass house number and name plaques. My memorial plaques can be created to suit a range of budgets.

Contact me today to discuss your Glass Art Memorials ideas and specific requirements.