Restoration Painting
Barley Studio’s skilled painters and conservators use traditional stained glass techniques and materials to restore lost imagery faithful to the original artist’s intention. Decisions are made in consultation with clients and art historical advisors, and all new pieces are identified in accordance with conservation guidance and ethics.
Replacement of lost or damaged glass
If original pieces are missing, or so badly damaged that they must be replaced, then new painted glass pieces can be created.
St Thomas’ Chapel of Ease in Green Hammerton has several windows by James Powell and Sons (Whitefriars) dating from 1913. The lower section of one window had been lost, and Barley Studio were commissioned to re-create this panel and complete the window.
The new panel was created following the design of the adjacent window, from the same scheme, using mouth-blown antique glasses of matching colours and textures, painted and stained to match the original work.
Restoration of lost painted detail
Restoration of lost or faded painted detail, a common problem especially with nineteenth-century windows, can also help to restore the meaning and legibility of the imagery, while retaining the original glass.
Key areas of the imagery, such as faces, hands and inscriptions, can be enhanced by adding backplates on which the missing detail is painted and fired for permanence.
‘Cold’ painting, on the reverse of the original glass, can be used in an environmentally protected situation. Both of these restoration interventions are reversible.
Details from Morris Company windows at St Martin on the Hill, Scarborough – before and after restoration ‘cold’ painting