Stained Glass Update!

Well, I've finished my session of stained glass classes and I'm far from a Tiffany master, but I have learned a few things.  After a week's break, the class will continue, but I will take a break for a while. Perhaps I will return to it next winter, after the golf season is over with.  These last three Tuesday's I have had to hurry from golf league, missing some of the studio time, and generally feeling a bit rushed... both with golf and with the class.

But I promised an update, so here it is.  One thing that I did learn was that making glass pieces is very time consuming!  I spent a lot of time on designing my pieces.  Perhaps it would have been easier to pluck a free pattern off the internet.  But to be honest, I did spend a little time looking at images for inspiration, but I found that to be sort of tedious.  And I think I like the design process, even though it doesn't come real easy for me.

So I really have only two pieces to show you.

I shared this first one in an earlier blog post when it was only partially finished.  I made the central blue square with the Carolina lily variation and then decided that it really needed a border.  It measures about 14 inches square now that it is bordered and framed.  Here it is propped on the ledge above the bathtub in our master bathroom.  Eventually it will be suspended covering the middle four blocks of the 6 x 6 block window that brings some light into the room, but also affords some privacy.

 I think I will enjoy seeing it hanging in that space everyday, but especially on sunny days.

Here is a close-up.  Initially I was concerned that the blue might be too dark, but I rather like it contrasting with the lime green, pale gold and milky white in the rest of the piece.

I learned how to frame the piece using a special channeled metal called "came."  I had to miter the corners, cutting it with a saw, and then filling in the gap with solder.  

My second "one of a kind" piece was built around a glass medallion that Russ got after completing one of the Asheville half-marathons.  The disk has been hanging in our sunroom window since he brought it home.  So I thought I would design a surround for it.

This shows the piece hanging in that same sunroom window.

And here is a closer look.  I guess this isn't the greatest picture, since you are seeing it against the new green leaves on the trees behind the house.  I should have angled my shot so it was against the sky.  The colors actually look better in the picture above.  But the design used greens, brown, gold and some patterned clear glass and I also learned how to mount some other glass disks (those things that look like slightly flattened marbles) for extra sparkle and detail.  I like the way it turned out.

So I guess I will put my tools away for the next few months, but I will keep my eye out for ideas for future projects!