The What an Why of Stained Glass

      Stained Glass in the form of Leaded Glass has been around for a long time. It has been used to decorate windows, especially those of churches, for centuries. The vast windows of Medieval Cathedrals display biblical scenes that were meant not only to awe the average peasant but to also educate. The construction of leaded glass has basically remained the same over the centuries. The artisan cuts the glass into a particular shape and then fits it into a rigid metal frame. Although, beautiful and sturdy enough to resist nature it is usually limited in it’s ability to make curves and intricate designs.
     Unlike leaded glass, stained glass has changed over the years, whereas, advancements in tools and chemistry now make stained glass accessible to the average person. Today’s stained glass is constructed by cutting the glass, grinding, foiling and then soldering the pieces together. What was once valued for it’s
manipulative purposes is now valued for it’s simple beauty hanging in the window.

     My stained glass is totally original. I design all of my own patterns, cut the pieces, foil, and solder manually; nothing is machine soldered. Yet, recognizing the inherent weakness of stained glass, both the copper foil and lead solder are very soft, I often rely on an exoskeleton for strength. This external frame is often composed of a metal ring of varying shapes. By using this exoskeleton, I am able create an airy delicate feeling within each piece and, occasionally, I will further accentuate the delicateness by adding wire curls.
     Within my pieces I often incorporate things like worry stones, agate slices or even fossils. I feel that this addition adds a touch of nature that I would never be able to duplicate with glass. Sometimes, these natural elements are subservient to the design existing simply as a focal point but in other situations the natural elements dictate the design as in “Worry-me-nots” and “Agate Flowers.” In the end, my creations, everyone of them, are beautiful one of a kind pieces of stained glass ready to be hung up in your window.