This past summer, I was fortunate enough to have work selected by two exhibitions at the International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge, UK. ‘Nature Unsettled’ was shown in the ‘Inspired by William Morris’ British Society of Master Glass Painters touring exhibition and ‘Frog in Red’ was in the FIFTEEN x FIFTEEN Blowfish Gallery exhibition!

Like expected, I was totally floored by the artistry and craftsmanship on display at both these events; well, the whole festival really! Was simply awesome to get together with so many and such a range of practitioners from the glass community, what a weird and wonderful bunch.. and what an inspiration! I even took the opportunity to go camping for the duration of the festival and stopped in Birmingham to check out the newly restored Burne-Jones stained glass windows by (Holy Well Glass) in Birmingham Cathedral.

Nature Unsettled- ‘Troubled by the industrial revolution; visionary artist and environmentalist William Morris, sought to reconnect the general public with nature through art and craft. Today we are at similar crossroads, with the choice to either steward our natural environment or to completely destroy it and ourselves. I wanted to capture the same wonder of nature, but not without acknowledging our shortfalls.’

FIFTEEN X FIFTEEN Exhibition featured 47 artists, from 11 countries and 12 different glass techniques. The theme of the exhibit was to showcase works no bigger than 15 cm cubed. Blowfish Glass is a leading Hybrid Hot Shop and Contemporary Glass Gallery, based within a stunning grade II listed building set at the UNESCO park heritage site, Red House Glass Cone. Stourbridge which held the International Festival of Glass for many years, holds a historically rich glass-making history dating back to the 17th Century.

Was such a pleasure, putting together and chairing an exciting new webinar alongside fellow British Society of Master Glass Painters, Council Members! I am happy to report that it was another ‘sell out’ event, with well over a hundred tickets sold internationally, Here’s what it was about…

In continuation from our previous ‘Artistic Perspectives on Glass Painting’ webinar, the BSMGP and new Artists Working Group hosted another technical event. ‘Transmitted- Artistic Perspectives on Colour in Stained Glass’, showcasing the art of American stained glass experts Judith Schaechter and Tim Carey!

Artists and enthusiasts joined us from as far as Canada to New Zealand for this inspiring event. Brimming with creative reinforcement and practical tips; Judith Schaechter and Tim Carey were both extremely charismatic and provided insightful, in-depth presentations. Exploring their relationships and personal use of colour in etched, fused and painted glass. We heard about their unique creative journeys, experimental approaches; what they learnt and how it informed their technical processes and visual language! Wow!

Big thanks to our speakers for such enlightening presentations, our attendees for making the time and the BSMGP for bringing our glass community together.

Recently, I was invited by non-for-profit, Reflections of The Lord Mayor, to help facilitate a stained glass and pollinator inspired arts day at Treloar School and College. A liberating environment for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) students, where learning takes place alongside therapy and care. In an effort to provide more creative opportunities for SEND students and as part of Treloar’s Art Week, The Reflections of The Lord Mayor designed this unique activity for KS3/4, Primary, and Sixth Form students to explore the arts!

It was an absolute pleasure engaging with the SEND students and tailoring our approach to each of their needs. The day was spent investigating the art and craft of stained glass, different types of pollinators and why they’re essential to life. Students were provided with prepped materials to produce their own inspired acetate stained glass roundels.

It was so much fun assisting the students with their designs, each child had their own range of abilities and I just loved encouraging every one of them. Each of the students did a superb job and were extremely chuffed to see their finished art works adorning their college entrance windows!

‘Opportunities for Special Educational Needs and Disability students in art and design are often scarce, presenting significant barriers to their creative engagement. These limitations hinder their access to vital channels for personal and educational development. This initiative seeks to empower these students by providing a platform for creative expression and growth.’ -Chris Seow, Founder and Director of Reflections of The Lord Mayor.

Special thanks to Treloar School and College for hosting us and for doing such a terrific job enabling education for disabled young people.

I was extremely fortunate to have been awarded the James C. Whitney Memorial Scholarship from the American Glass Guild this past February!! The grant enabled me to continue my professional development and funded an advanced etching workshop with American stained glass visionary Judith Schaechter!

During my scholarship, I etched six pieces of Lamberts mouth-blown flashed glass, using three different tools for etching; the sandblaster, rotary tool and diamond file. The diamond file, a technique unique to Judith Schaechter’s artistic practice, was such an inspiring reinvention from being just a mere finishing tool for cast glass! I was immediately inspired by its potential for mark making, and totally fell for the lush hazy effect it had on the glass. I enjoyed analysing the effects from variations in angle, It felt incredibly liberating to rely less on power tools when etching, and to etch in a way that felt more like drawing or painting.

It was enormously encouraging and reassuring to hear Judith’s artistic perspectives on having a creative glass practice. It was a long time since I had taken tuition from a true artist, and it highlighted for me, that it was not just her craftsmanship, but her outlook that had the biggest impact.

I prepared drawings of patterns and figures to experiment with beforehand. We deliberately reproduced these drawings onto interchangeable samples of the same size glass, so we could double-plate and clearly visualise what felt like limitless compositional combinations! This enabled me to maintain control over the process and study its transformation. This in itself was incredibly motivating and provided me with the creative insight needed to develop the technique.

Experimentation and innovation greatly influence my visual language and evolving narratives. I am extremely excited to continue developing my etching skills and use the technique as a core component in my future stained glass practice! It was fantastic to have Judith beckoning me on, encouraging me to be less cautious and to take each technical process a step further. She provided me with creative systems that not only liberated my etching approach, but informed my compositional decisions!

Throughout my stay, I also had the pleasure of meeting local Philly stained glass artist Rick Prigg and UK stained glass artist Glenn Carter. On the final night, Judith was extra sweet and organised a dinner altogether, I had a blast talking art with such an inspiring group of creatives, and the home-cooked vegetarian dinner was delish!!

I must thank the American Glass Guild and Judith Schaechter again for providing me with the opportunity to discover the true creative potential of etched glass!

So thrilled to have had my Artist interview feature and collection of works published, on paper and online, in the 10th edition of Art Etcetera Magazine, ‘Through the Veil: Perceiving Nature Through Art’! I was extremely excited to contribute to this insightful independent resource, especially as the themes of this edition; being nature and consciousness, aligned so well with my own.

It was such a pleasure interviewing with Founder and Editor, Jordan Brinkworth. We had an incredible conversation discussing my creative approach to glass, the philosophies that inspire my own artistic practice and my life!! I admire Jordan’s mission to provide Artists with a constructive, inquisitive platform; thematically inclusive of all mediums and people!

Here’s a little taster…

“For Julia, her glasswork acts as more of a collective mirror than just something to shine through… Julia’s art actively observes how we as individuals often deal with particular emotions that arise in all our lives, and what happens when we don’t… Yet what Julia furthermore highlights is that the bulk of us… live our whole lives on autopilot. In this regard Julia depicts the mental action of ‘breaking through the veil’ into a more heightened state of awareness… something which she implies might be achieved through the likes of submergence or meditation. intriguingly however Julia also points out that such an increased state of awareness isn’t only good for our mental health, but the environment.”

Super excited about an upcoming event I had the pleasure of closely working on with a few fellow Council members!!

The British Society of Master Glass Painters is thrilled to introduce our first technical webinar exploring glass painting! This exciting new event will delve into the personal relationships between the glass painter and their medium. A rare and inspiring opportunity to hear multiple artists talk about their evolving styles, creative expression, technical processes and unique innovations in the art and craft of glass painting. We will be showcasing some of the sixty artists from the Centenary Touring Exhibition who used painting as the primary technique in their panels, and who did a remarkable job interpreting the medium in a new way. If you missed the exhibition at one of the ten historic venues we visited in 2021-22 then you can see the larger online exhibition here.

The event will be chaired by Julia Gonyou. The featured artists are Ruth Jacobson, Nóra Nagyváradi, Petri Anderson, Veronica Smith, Gwendoline Payne, Gillian McCormick, Refia Sacks and Tamsin Abbott. (Examples of Artists’ works above)

Discover a sense of artistic freedom and join us in a whirlwind showcase of a superb group of glass painters!!

The Zoom event is at 19:00 GMT, Thursday 13th April, 2023

Buy tickets here:

https://www.bsmgp.org.uk/shop/events/lectures/artistic-perspectives-on-glass-painting/

In 2021, I was nominated by my peers to join council at The British Society of Master Glass Painters! As a glass painter and a type of conservator/ conservationist, I’ve shared an affinity for the BSMGP for a long time, and I am so happy to be getting more involved with this unique stained glass non-for-profit!! Over the past year I’ve learnt so much about the charity itself, It’s been a privilege and incredibly interesting to be a part of the its planning and support structures, I can’t wait to see future plans unfold!

‘Founded in 1921, The British Society of Master Glass Painters is the UK’s only organisation devoted exclusively to the art and craft of stained glass. The BSMGP promotes the important heritage of our nation’s extensive stained glass venues and collections, accredit professional craftspeople and help educate the wider public through their online resources, conferences, tours, library and annual publications!’

With the recent celebration of the Trust’s Centenary Birthday and touring exhibition it is an exciting time to get involved! Council and Committee members are comprised of some of the UK’s top stained glass professionals! Who understand the necessity of giving back, voluntarily contributing time and expertise to create more professional opportunities, educational tools, all while expanding their list of events! Make sure to check them out and consider becoming a member!

https://www.bsmgp.org.uk/

With deep respect for our late Chairperson, Caroline Benyon FMGP, ACR many thanks for enriching The British Society of Master Glass Painters and maintaining an informed and supportive community!!

I am extremely happy to collaborate with The Shark Cafe and Shark Allies again! This time to promote awareness around the majestic Manta Ray! These filter feeding fish are targeted for their meat and gill plates, which are falsely marketed as a new age medicine and consumer detox aid. This industry provides incentive to target Rays and harvest those caught in by-catch. Manta Rays are very intelligent and independent beings and have a slow reproductive cycle; with females reproducing, on average, just one pup a year! With over-fishing its no wonder that Rays are now considered highly threatened!

Originally painted on glass with lead oxide, the Manta Ray was photographed, edited and printed onto 100% cotton Turkish towels. Directly support marine conservation and positively influence the world by shopping with us! Follow the link to view this Eco-Friendly Artist collaboration and many others!

https://thesharkcafe.com/shop/p/manta-cotton-towel

Find a range of interesting and informative reads online and don’t forget to check out my ‘Art for Activism’ Featured Interview!

https://thesharkcafe.com/read/art-for-activism-julia-gonyou

Global shark populations are plummeting and face numerous threats such as over fishing, finning, by-catch and ghost nets. I hoped that ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ would inspire sympathy for an otherwise feared animal and continue the dialogue as to why and how sharks are integral to healthy oceans! Originally painted on glass with enamel and lead oxide, digitally translated onto 100% cotton totes and stickers!!

It has been an absolute pleasure collaborating with sister conservation organisations, Shark Allies and The Shark Cafe! Check out the link below for my full ‘Art for Activism’ featured interview, an amazing range of Eco-products and all the educational material you need to know about sharks!! Please make sure to follow this fabulous USA non-for-profit and help spread awareness to protect our shared marine environments! More to come in 2022!

https://thesharkcafe.com/read/art-for-activism-julia-gonyou

So happy to be awarded Second Place in the Design Category for this years 2020 Stevens Architectural Glass Competition!

The concept was designed for Morden College, a 300 year old care home, founded by Sir John Morden, a merchant trader and philanthropist from the 17th Cen. This visual composition references a career spent between Ancient Syria and England, the variety of goods traded and voyages undertaken.

The somewhat unsettling red back drop is the exact width of the popular British broadcloth often sold to Syria in red. The abstracted Sea ties the composition together and at the same time connects each nation. White plant and insect details explore which goods were traded most, bursts of colour indicate traded spices and dyes, while symbolic details suggest locations and culture.

Looking forward to completing my ‘2019 Continuing Professional Development’ grant at Saligo Design, UK! I will be using this grant to experiment and innovate artistic applications in the ANTIQUE SILVERING of glass. Many Thanks to The Worshipful Company of Glaziers & Painters of Glass for backing this niche technical development!

In 2018 my design won the commission for The Reflections of the Lord Mayor, London.  The following year I joined the ROTLM judging committee, to assist in choosing the 2019 winners!

“Julia’s design is powerful, bringing movement, depth and freedom in its interpretation of the Lord Mayor’s achievements .. The judges particularly liked the design’s sense of engagement, a vortex almost, pulling the viewer in and offering a glimpse of Lord Mountevans’ energy, interests and responsibilities.”

Helen Whittaker – Chair of the Judging Committee

https://www.lordmayorreflects.london/roundel-competition-winners/julia-gonyou-winner-professional-artist-2018/

Follow the link above to see full interview on my design and techniques!