Keith New

Keith New (3 September 1925-14 February 2012) was a stained glass artist and craftsman during his early career and a well-regarded teacher and landscape painter in later life.

[5][6] New’s stained glass includes: Other windows by New: There are designs in: In Norwich Cathedral, in a Millennium scheme for the north transept in 2000 by John Hayward but incorporating surviving pieces of New’s work, removed from St Stephen Walbrook Church, City of London (originally 1960-61).

[7][5][25] New supplemented his work on this significant commission with part-time teaching at the College and developing a growing portfolio of other projects, including two panels for Buckler’s Mead School in Yeovil[26][11][6] and a nave window for Holy Trinity Church in Coleford (both 1957).

[27] In 1958 New took up a fellowship at Digswell House in Hertfordshire, an exciting initiative created by the educator Henry Morris, which brought together artists and craftsmen, typically at the beginning of their careers.

This technique used cement and epoxy resins in lieu of lead and the finished product could be more subtle than dalle de verre, often referred to as slab glass, a format which New is only known to have used once in a lost exhibition panel.

Few of New’s glass appliqué projects survive, due to the failure of the epoxy resins, which research has subsequently shown to be sensitive to ultraviolet rays.

Here he originally had a double-height studio and used his own kiln for some projects, e.g., the Royal College of Physicians, Wesley Methodist Church[11] and All Hallows by the Tower[19] (1964).

There followed an intensely creative three years that included: For larger windows, such as Bristol Cathedral, New required a bigger studio, so he rented space at The Glass House, the Fulham base of Lowndes and Drury.

[39] Robin Darwin, the Rector of the RCA, supported the role of stained glass in the early 1950s, was responsive to the changing enthusiasms of the 1960s art and design world.

The paintings he created were quite often large and for the most part displayed calming views, rarely featuring human figures, if at all, and predominantly in shades of green and blue.

The Service of thanksgiving for his life was held in St Mark’s Church, Wimbledon, site of his last glass commission, a nave window, constructed in 1968-9 for designers Humphreys and Hurst.