Frans Wesselman

Stained glass panels, combining traditional techniques with contemporary design.

Frans was born in Holland and trained there in painting and printmaking. Having come to England, he was elected a member of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers and an associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists. He has worked for many years (and still does) in oils, watercolours and etching and his work has been exhibited widely both in Britain and abroad.

In 1999, on a visit to Salisbury Cathedral, he was particularly struck by “The prisoners of conscience” window, painted by Gabriel Loire (in the 1980s). Not having really ever paid much attention to stained glass before, he decided there and then to study the technique and try to make some himself.

One of the things that excited him was the way one can tell stories in glass, where the ephemeral quality of the material, part light, part substance, encourages the mind to make leaps of time and imagination. He has made many pieces since and keeps discovering new challenges, new ways to do things.

He has undertaken many commissions and is always pleased to discuss new ones, but he also has a range of ready-made pieces available.