Emma Kirkby's window

Emma Kirkby's window installed in her homeFused and leaded glass, 2010

Tessa Verrecchia was very pleased to be asked by the singer Dame Emma Kirkby to make this panel of fused and leaded glass for her home.

Tessa is a synaesthete (one who sees colour with sound) and a great admirer of Emma's voice. Emma suggested that she design and make a panel showing how she sees her voice. Fusing the glass was an ideal way of expressing her voice in combination with the lute. In the panel the sound of the lute is shown in the background and her voice rising in the centre. Tessa painted the lettering using traditional paint and ground pigment. English Antique Glass, the only producer of hand made glass in England, was used for the panel.

One of the beautiful things about fused glass is that it rarely looks the same twice as the light changes, and therefore it is difficult to capture all the vibrant hues in a single photograph. So here are a selection: (click to enlarge)

Emma Kirkby's window A different view of Emma Kirkby's window showing the chunky melted glass Emma Kirkby's window seen closeup with sunlight streaming through Emma Kirkby's panel up against a window