Cecilia Murray graduated with a Degree in Printed Textiles from Glasgow School of Art and thereafter worked as an Art teacher for a number of years in various Glasgow schools. After early retirement, she decided to return to the Art School to learn how to make stained glass in order to renovate the front door of her house, that had been “modernised.” She immediately fell in love with the medium- the physical materials and the process of making the panels- and has since been a regular exhibitor at Compass Gallery.
"I loved the vibrant colours of the glass, the ability to combine them by painting and fusing, and the process of fitting it all together with the lead. I also liked being able to move the pieces about, even although I had often already worked out a design idea and I really enjoyed the challenge of fitting it together with the lead, like a jigsaw for adults.
My main design inspiration comes from the Natural Word. I particularly like working with the shapes of trees, and foliage. Because of my background in textile design I really like the patterns that appear in nature.eg the patterns of fields and hedges. I also like the shapes and the patterns made by birds. Recently, after a visit to Fife, I was inspired by the patterns of windows and doorways in the small houses, and made a number of panels base on these ideas. All my design ideas begin with drawing and sketching from life and are later developed in the studio. One of the reasons I particularly like working with glass is that very often my original ideas change as I work with the materials, and I think that keeps the work fresh. I continue to explore all the possibilities of working in glass and still enjoy making new discoveries."