Stained Glass Gallery

Stained Glass Art. . . a path of

Artistic Vision & Technical Precision

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It's been over two decades ago that I took my first stained glass class, and my love for this art form has only grown over the years. My supply bins are now overflowing with more glass than I will likely use up in this lifetime—yet I still can't resist adding "just one more" beautiful sheet to the collection!

Stained glass is a demanding collaboration of artistic vision & technical precision. While my head continues to swirl with new designs, I know that generating ideas has become the easy part for me, not by accident but rather through years of cultivation. The other aspect of making stained glass art, the technical part, requires precision work that takes time and effort. Authentic craftsmanship allows for no shortcuts; the process is so labor-intensive that the sheer scale of a single project, whether large or small in physical size, can feel truly daunting.

The Technical Part ― So Many Steps!

Make sure you have the right set-up. . . lighting, ventilation, dedicated table space and safety issues handled.

Make sure you have the right tools, equipment and all the supplies on hand and organized for easy access.

The idea or concept has to be translated into a workable glass pattern on paper.

Then there's color selection and applying each of those pattern pieces to the right color.

There's cutting each glass pieces and then grinding each piece, and perfectly fitting each piece to the pattern.

Then there's carefully applying and burnishing the copper foil tape onto each individual piece.

Then comes soldering all lines and the exterior edges...multiple times.

Then the hooks or rings must be soldered in place for hanging.

Then comes multiple cleanings, applying patina, and then polishing every nook and cranny.

Finally, the chain is attached with pliers for displaying the finished piece.

Every step of the process, from the original spark of an idea to the time and labor involved, leads to this: a beautiful piece of art. These works carry the same permanence, inspiration and beauty as the magnificent glass windows seen in historic churches around the world, but simply distilled into a more touchable and personal version. That pride of accomplishment, along with the sheer joy of the creative process, is what continues to fuel my creative energies.

Re Reflections on Artistic Vision

Creativity is a universal force or energy inside each of us and is not confined to just creating art in the traditional sense. This force is part of all we do in life, whether making 🎨 art, writing an e-mail or a 📖 book, cooking 🥣 a meal, planning✏️ the week or envisioning our life 🌟 dreams. Invoking the creative force comes with its own set of rules ~ one is that its presence grows over⌛️time. The more you call upon it, the Stronger it becomes. See, it works Less like a faucet to be turned🚰 off/on or controlled by techniques. Rather, it acts more like a welcome breeze💨 that enters an open 🪟 window — naturally, without being forced to show up. As you LEARN how to EVOKE thenuminous ✨ presence of your Muse, it gradually becomes a reliable

and valuable companion, a relationship worthy of cultivating. In this way, creativity becomes a Way of Life and a constant source of inspiration and discovery.