Nathalie Hildegarde Liege
Stained Glass Artist and Artisan
We are a Stained Glass studio located in the Old Creamery, Wem, Shrewsbury, offering private commissions, restoration works and projects for heritage and public sites in partnership with architects, glaziers, research centres and international colleagues. We also deliver courses in Stained Glass Painting and online mentoring in Stained Glass Crafting in both French and English. Nathalie Liege, owner and Stained Glass Artist & Artisan is originally from the suburbs of Paris and moved to the UK in 1995.
We are, and always have been, strongly committed to celebrating and conserving the environment. When we began our tenancy at the English Bridge Workshop in 2001 around 80% of the studio was built with reclaimed furniture, pieces of equipment and more. We continue to honour this commitment by using mostly reclaimed or adapted furniture when improving the studio for different purposes, stressing the importance of recycling while ensuring the furniture is fun and practical.
One of my moves was to take the mouth blown glass cuts that were unwanted by the person who purchased the contents of Stained Glass Artist Jane Gray’s closing studio, generously offered to us by her daughter. We encourage this environmental commitment in our work taking every piece of glass for its full potential and limiting all forms of pollution of water or land in the usage of the paints, enamels, or other materials.
Our 2019 Marga & Collections project made reference to the Anthropocene - the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment; our ARTYchoke series celebrates the beauty of home grown food; and our latest private commission for Prees Heath Common Reserve features the silver-studded blue butterfly and highlights its vital eco-system that needs protecting. You can read more about our work here.
In the end of 2023 in the process of setting up the new studio we used as much reclaimed and recycled materials as possible, We used reclaimed double glazing in the patrician wall and the carpet for the glass stock area have come from Veolia waste management local office I am delighted that my new landlord shares my wish to ruse and recycle where ever possible, spontaneous donating the dance floor used for his daughters 21st birthday party, which we have repurposed for my Glass stock racks, the new partisan wall and building up my drawing board area. he also offered to build my in glass engraving and painting area worktop out of large toughened glass that he had kept aside to be use
2023 Interview - The Guardian, The Artisan, Shining a light on a stained glass artist - in pictures
2016 Grants for The Arts, Arts Council England
2001 Creative Ambition Award, West Midlands Arts
1998-2000 Journeyman’s Award, The Worshipful Company of Glaziers & Painters of Glass
Grants, Awards and Interviews
Testimonials
Lucy, Private client, 2020
“We asked for an impression of the heath, told Nathalie what it was to us & it has been fascinating to see Nathalie working through & interpreting all that in glass. I particularly love the way Nathalie sees movement on the heath, in the wings, the landscape & people – it wasn’t something I had much awareness of before. And I love the special bits of glass, the history in them & the careful choice of individual pieces.”
Stephen, Private client, 2020
“It is an intricate and detailed design, using some lovely pieces of stained glass, and it is also one where she is not just representing all the plants and creatures that live there but also the spirit of the place. One aspect she has taken special care over is the fact that the glass will look differently when seen from each of the rooms owing to the differing amount of natural light. All in all, we are very, very happy with her work.”
Gill, Stained Glass Painting Course participant, 2020
“As a complete novice, I found the workshop was a great introduction to this craft delivered by a very patient, knowledgeable and talented tutor who was happy to share her experience from paint preparation and design to final firing of our work. The small number in the group meant that we each received the help we needed in a relaxed atmosphere. Nathalie is very innovative in how she uses recycled items to aid her work and careful about the disposal of waste to reduce environmental impact.”
Nicola, Private client, 2019
[About two windows we created for her front door based on a design from the ARTYchoke Catalogue Series 1] “The result is stunning. We watch the colours and shapes move across the room through the morning casting varying hues and forms onto the space. It adds life and joy to our home and reminds us of the beauty of the natural world outside - it also encourages us to go down to the allotment to do the weeding!”
Barbara Davis, Stained Glass Painting Course participant, 2019
“Nathalie is a brilliant teacher and so knowledgeable about traditional methods I immediately felt comfortable in the studio. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who wants 2 days of getting away from it all to learn a skill which has been practised for hundreds of years. You will not be an expert but an inspired learner!”
Chrissie Thompson, Stained Glass Painting Course participant, 2019
“I asked so many questions and Nathalie was so patient. After travelling from Canada to complete the course, I would recommend it to anyone starting as a beginner and I will hopefully be able to make the trip back for an advanced course. I had a wonderful time.”
Pete Frickers, Apprentice (Marga & Collections project), 2017
“Stained glass provides time to reflect, and to correct errors, but it also demands concentration if all the components are to be brought into a harmonious composition.”
Adult participant, Cartoon & Design Workshop (Marga & Collections project), 2017
“Before the workshop I knew nothing about interpreting or creating stained glass windows. It was for me a wonderful eye-opening experience and I can now appreciate how many different skills are needed. I get pleasure now in seeking out stained glass examples to admire or interpret.”
Liz Lefroy, Poet, 2016
"I have known Nathalie for many years and been an admirer of her work. She is an artist who lives her art - what results is work of integrity and unique voice. She does not aim for comfort, but truth, and in doing so reaches us where we most need to respond."
Vicky Evans-Hubbard, International Slavery Museum Education Manager, 2015
"In 2015 to commemorate 800 years since the foundation of the Magna Carta, Nathalie was invited by International Slavery Museum to work with young people in Liverpool on a project to design a memorial window. Thanks to Nathalie's passion, knowledge and skill, the Magna Carta 800 project is one of the most inspiring and successful ever run by International Slavery Museum education."
Alfred Fisher, Stained Glass Artist, 2014
“This lady knows her glass inside out. I see so much poor imitative glass, but Nathalie owes nothing to any designer other than herself and the richness of early mediaeval glass. Never boring - and exploring all forms of making, everything comes from her own thought and creativity, so her work is unique, dedicated, personal and to be enjoyed.”