Tiffany Stained Glass Class projects

In the late fall I taught a Tiffany stained glass class on Monday evenings. The students first made a small suncatcher during which they learned the basic skills of cutting glass and soldering. Their second project in the class was a larger window which took the remainder of the class to complete. The small windows have a metal frame around the outside and are ready to hang when the class is complete. Two of the students even did original designs which is quite challenging when you first start out. Their projects turned out great and I wanted to share them with you.

Birth of a Stained Glass Window

When making a stained glass window you must first plan out your design and then draw a pattern or "cartoon" in order to have a guide as you cut the glass and construct the panel. Once the zinc frame has been cut you begin to cut the glass and solder the foiled pieces of glass into place. I decided to do a photo journal of this stained glass panel as it grew to completion. I didn't get a final photo and the window is already shining brightly in it's new home, but you can get a good idea from the final photos of the final product. There is something very satisfying about taking raw materials and creating a beautiful piece of art...... Robin

Happy New Year, 2011

Happy New Year everyone. The studio had it's own new year celebration on January 7th. As you can see by the photos, top hats were required. Fritz Schwalm performed at the studio for the very first "First Friday" of the New Year. What a wonderful evening. Fritz's has a wonderful voice and played music enjoyed by all. Linka Behn and Kerry Boutell demonstrated their amazing art techniques and we had the most wonderful crowd in attendance. Good food, great music and wonderful conversations. Can't beat that!

Getting Ready for the Holidays

I love the holidays. I guess I always have. I have always loved the smells of the special foods that are prepared, the bright colors of the decorations and lights and the change of the seasons from warm to cold. All this week I have been preparing for this busy week of activity. I have been working hard on custom orders of stained glass, and finally tonight I was able to begin to make some stained glass Christmas ornaments for the tree at the studio. I cut out a small forest of tree ornaments and hope to be able to get them made before Thursday's Holiday Lighting Festival in Denton. I've got my Wassail recipe in hand and am ready to make the spicy concoction. Polly Maynard and the Childbloom Ensemble will be performing in the studio from 6-7. The next day will be First Friday and Alex Riegelman will be in the studio. Two events in two days. This will be fun.

First Friday with Glen Farris

Glen Farris played at the studio for the November First Friday Denton. This is his encore performance in the studio and it was a treat to get to hear him play again. Glen plays the guitar and harmonica and does a wide array of music. His friend, Doug Burr, joined him for a song and they sounded amazing together. Great Music and Art and wonderful people to visit with.....what could be better. Check out the photos from the evening.

Leaded Stained Glass Class

Leaded Stained Glass construction uses the more traditional method of stain glass assembly in that the pieces of glass are joined with strips of lead came that have been soldered at the intersections. Traditionally leaded stained glass window designs are somewhat simpler in nature when compared to designs for Tiffany stained glass. When given the choice, I tend to prefer the Tiffany or copper-foil method but whenever I do make a leaded window, I enjoy the more physical nature of building. Recently the leaded stained glass class at the studio completed their projects. I have to say that they did a great job and the students in the class enjoyed getting to know each other while working in the studio. Check out their beautiful projects....Robin

Lots of fun in Acrylic and Collage Class

The Acrylic and Collage class has come to an end but the students had lots of fun. Acrylic painting is a quick dry paint and perfect to use as a medium when doing a collage. Collages are fun to make but can be quite the serious art. If you were unable to make it to this class, keep an eye on the class calendar because it will be offered again after the holiday season. Check out what the students did in this class!