Phil Gillam: Shining a light on Shrewsbury stained glass artist

I’ve never really understood experimental jazz, for example. I like a good melody, me – not something that rambles around all over the place for no apparent reason.

The opera and the ballet also leave me cold. (Sorry!)

I don’t much care for rap music, and then of course there’s the more obscure modern poetry that, frankly, I find somewhat impenetrable.

Others produce works of art out of coat-hangers, bottle tops, paper clips and banana skins. Such works can be fun, but ultimately mystifying.

And then there are some highly specialist areas of the arts and crafts which – although I know nothing about them – I simply have to admire those who work in such areas.

Among this latter category, I’d place those amazing people who create extraordinary stained glass windows.

And at this point, ladies and gentleman, may I introduce Nathalie Hildegarde Liege?

She has a rare gift coupled with tremendous flair and a high degree of good old-fashioned craftsmanship.

And she uses her talents to create truly stunning works.

Old coat-hangers and banana skins do not figure in her work – at least as far as I know.

Nathalie is an artist who produces exquisite stained glass windows that simply stop you in your tracks.

Based in her studio in Shrewsbury’s English Bridge Workshop, Nathalie is currently working on a window in four sections – a creation that will be housed in Shrewsbury’s Museum and Art Gallery.

Watch Nathalie Hildegarde Liege at work:

She says: “It will refer to the many species of birds found in all stained glass artwork by Margaret Rope - the celebrated stained glass artist whose work can be seen in Shrewsbury’s Roman Catholic Cathedral It will also feature references to Shropshire’s geology and 21st century environmental concerns.

“These are just some of the many influences going into the creation of Marga and Collections, a stained glass window for the corridor leading to the Medieval Gallery.”

Nathalie grew up in the South-East suburbs of Paris. She studied Fine Arts in The Sorbonne where she found great interest in poetry writing, theology and ethnology.

She has lived in the UK for the last 22 years.

Nathalie has been honoured with the Worshipful Company of Glaziers & Painters of Glass Journeymans Award 1998-2000. And she is a member of The British Society of Master Glass Painters.

What’s more, Nathalie is the owner and founder of Couleurlive Studio which she set up in 1998.

Meanwhile, progress on her current projects is being captured on film by the talented local film-maker Katie Eccleston Boker of KAE Films - bringing together the two very different art forms of film-making and stained glass window creation. To find out more on this visit kaefilms.co.uk/nathalie-hildegarde-liege

Also, you can find out more about Nathalie’s work, and the workshops she runs, at: www.couleurlive.com – or her journals about this project on couleurlivejournals.blogspot.co.uk

GREEN FAIR AT BELLE VUE

And changing the subject entirely now, here’s one for your diary.

There’s going to be a Green Fair held at Belle Vue Methodist Church’s Hermitage Centre on July 22, 11am-3pm.

Here there will be children’s activities, make-do-and-mend advice, a pay-as-you-go driving scheme, and a Slim Your Bin stall where people can learn from neighbours in Cherry Orchard who have saved money, strengthened their community and had fun while reducing waste.

There will also be crafty ways to save from the Marches Energy Agency, and “To Compost Or Not To Compost”.

Sounds like a very different kind of an event, and one where you’ll be able to pick up lots of good advice.