Crafting Glass » stained glass

Using Some Basic Glass Tools

admin — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:06:59 +0000

In the two videos just below this post a glass crafter and a glass artist demonstrate the use of some simple glass tools. The tools in the first video are some that most any person working in glass would have. Cutting thicker glass, like the plate glass in the video, requires a somewhat different technique than cutting the glass normally used in stained glass work and in fusing. The second video shows the use of a basic power tool (the glass grinder) that is so helpful in smoothing the edges of glass before handling it in stained glass or other work. Enjoy!

Jerry, webmaster CraftingGlass.com

Technorati Tags: cutting glass, glass artist, glass grinder, glass tools, stained glass

Incredibily Beautiful Windows and Hauntingly Lovely Music!

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:27:59 +0000

First featured several years ago on CraftingGlass.com, this video is so good, IMHO, that I want our new visitors to see it (and I hope those who have seen it watch again)!

In the video/slide show (In the House of Stone and Light) just below this post you will see some of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the world, IMHO. These lovely pictures were taken by Klaus Volpert, Ph.D.(a member of the Bryn Mawr Church in the pictures). The background music is “religious” but very beautiful. I believe you’ll find it very unique and “easy on the ear”.

Now please look at the video in the post below.

An example of a beautiful, modern Stained Glass Window. Guy Kemper, artist

Jerry (webmaster, Crafting Glass)

Technorati Tags: art glass, crafting glass, decorative glass, stained glass window, windows

Stained Glass Windows in the House of Stone and Light HQ (by Klaus Volpert, Ph.D.)

admin — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 23:29:59 +0000

These are images I took of the stained glass windows at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, plus some interior pictures. The song is `In the House of Stone and Light’ by Martin Page. Here it is arranged and performed as an A Cappella (voices only) piece by the Davidson Generals, an incredibly gifted a cappella group at Davidson College. Arrangers were Hunter Mobley, Alex Libson and Marshall Findley. Soloist is Marshall Findlay. Alex Libson is a former member of BMPC and its senior choir. For more …

Duration : 0:3:30

Technorati Tags: and, bmpc, Bryn, church, Davidson, Glass, House, klaus, light, Martin, Mawr, of, Page, Presbyterian, Stained, stone, volpert

How much should a stained glass artist give in commission to a gallery? I have been quited 50% – sound right?

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 01:46:54 +0000

My wife is a stained glass artist and is having trouble finding out what price she should set her work at. It depends on how much the galleries want in commission.

Galleries charge 30% to 50%. If the gallery seems switched on I would go with the 50% at first until her work starts to sell. As her popularity increases you then have the power to re-negotiate. The gallery takes half. I am sorry to say that in life people who sell get paid more than anyone else

How Awesome Can Glass Art Be?

admin — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:24:59 +0000

In my humble opinion I believe you will be inspired and amazed by the three images below. They are large images and may take a few more seconds than usual to load. I did not want to reduce the image size as that would reduce the “wow factor”. My thanks to Guy Kemper, glass artist, for suggesting these images to me. They are pictures of , in order: St. Chapelle in Paris (11th century!), St. Nicoli in Germany (Karl -Martin Hartman, artist), and The Blue Chapel in Germany (Johannes Schreiter, Artist).

Viewers, please don’t forget my contest to find “The Most Beautiful (Glass) Window In The World” (or at least in our little corner of it). To enter go to : http://hubpages.com/hub/VoteTheMostBeautifulGlassWindowInTheWorld

The St. Chapelle window(s), or one of the other two, would perhaps win hands down but I don’t think it’s fair to the little guy or gal to enter this type of “window” in the contest. Just enjoy these views (below) for now!

Jerry (webmaster, Crafting Glass)

Our New Artist Of the Month!

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 03:35:59 +0000

Who would you trust to restore lovely art glass windows in one of the most cherished art deco structures in the nation? The Oviatt Building trustees in LA chose our new featured artist Adamm Gritlefeld (yes, two “m”s) to restore/repair their precious etched and carved glass windows (originally done by Lalique). Their trust was well placed as Adamm’s work is superb. Adamm is the owner of Adamm’s Stained Glass Studio & Art Glass Gallery at 1426 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA. Mr. Gritlefeld custom designs , creates, and installs all types of glass panels, windows, doors and skylights in addition to his demonstrated excellence in repairs and restoration of all kinds of decorative art glass. At his retail location (and on his web site) Adamm also has a great gallery featuring works of over 125 top American glass artists. Some of the well known artists in the gallery are: Josh Simpson, James Nowak, Richard Satava, Michael Nourot, Craig Zweifel, Daniel Salazar, Michael Schunke, Susan Gott, Karen Ehart, Charles Lotton, David Lotton, and Rick Strini.

I can personally vouch for Mr. Gritlefelds dedication to perfection in his work. While discussing a blog by a stained glass artist (who shall remain nameless) Adamm scolded that artist for saying that the back side of the work could be left kind of rough as “nobody sees the back side”. Adamm says: “He really doesn’t know what he is talking about” ….” The only time a piece would not be seen in the back would be if it were a skylight, and people wouldn’t see the top side. However, strength is sacrificed if the soldering is not done properly.”

Adamm is also a renowned specialist in the repair and restoration of glass lampshades. Talking about the soldering work on leaded glass lampshades he says: “In old lamps you can really tell the difference between Tiffany, Dufner Kimberly and Chicago Mosaic. While the first two soldered both sides well the lamps of Chicago Mosaic were terrible on the inside” Knowing now what I have discovered about him I would certainly trust Adamm for any glass restoration work I might have in the future!.

Just below are “before” and “after” pictures of a window restoration project at St. Joseph’s chapel at Santa Teresita (Duarte, California).

Before After

Nice work, Adamm!

Don’t get the idea that repair and restoration are featured to the exclusion of the new work of Adamm himself and the work of his many gallery artists. On the contrary, his “brick and mortar” shop and his website are packed full of beautiful works of glass art, most of which are for sale. As mentioned previously The Gallery offers the work of over 125 (update 12/22/09- now over 180) of America’s top glass artists in its permanent collection. In addition, you will find jewelry, kaleidoscopes and wall art in fabric, glass and paint. By attending numerous art shows and conferences nationwide, Adamm continually meets and acquires the work of new artists to represent in his gallery. His love of glass and people allow him to bring a wonderfully warm and fresh air to the work displayed. You will never find a hard sell at Adamm’s. Your gallery purchase is guaranteed with a one-week approval period and a lifetime exchange policy. Adamm wants you to be completely satisfied. Adamm loves glass and art as most of us at Crafting Glass do!

Below this sentence are just three of the stunning glass vases shown in the current Gallery. Remember, there are hundreds of glass art objects in Adamm’s gallery. A truly amazing sight, in my humble opinion!

Adamm established his store and business way back in 1972 so he is no “Johnny come lately” to the glass scene. Over the years his studio has forged a reputation for creating the finest quality art glass, including etched and carved glass, stained glass windows, and even skylights. His studio also manufactures authentic Tiffany lamp reproductions. The studio’s commissions can be seen in homes and businessess throughout the United States and the world (even in celebrities homes and in the White House)!

This past summer (2009) Adamm was busy restoring the leaded glass skylights in the famous Doheny Mansion on the Mount St. Mary’s College campus in Los Angeles, CA. On his next phase of the Doheney Mansion project Adamm worked on scaffolding both inside and outside. This phase is to clean and restore the 25 foot diameter Tiffany Dome! For some idea of the size and luxury of the Doheney Mansion see this stunning picture just below. One of the skylight windows Adamm worked on is shown also (just below).

Doheney Mansion at Mt. St. Mary’s College Doheney Mansion Art Glass Skylight

To visit Adamm Gritlefeld’s web site, click here: adamms gallery

Enjoy!

Jerry (webmaster, CraftingGlass.com)

Technorati Tags: art glass, artist of the month, carved glass, decorative glass, etched glass artist, glass artist, stained glass artist, Tiffany lamps

Recently completed Work by Glass Artist Guy Kemper

admin — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:08:59 +0000

St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Mural/Window

Technorati Tags: airport mural, art glass window, artist of the month, glass artist

The First Artist To Appear In “The Artist Of the Month” is:

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:50:59 +0000

Guy Kemper, The Glass Artist of the Month says, “Glass is the best material in the world, there’s nothing better. I would take glass over any material, and there’s nothing more powerful.” Most regular viewers of CraftingGlass.com would agree as they love glass in all forms, as I do. Guy is a world recognized glass artist. He has works at the greater Orlando International Airport, St. Joseph’s chapel at Ground Zero in New York, the Baltimore Washington international Airport, and in our Lady In the Woods Chapel at Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky. Some of the other acclaimed works of Guy Kemper are found in as diverse places as the Mount Baker train station in Seattle, the Dulles station office park in Herndon, Virginia, in Chicago O’Hare airport, and in the Public Cemetery Chapel, Engenhahn, Germany. Pictured just below are several of Guy’s lovely works mentioned previously.

Bellarmine Chapel

Ground Zero Window New York

Guy’s works are unique in several ways. He doesn’t use lead anymore in most of his creations so he doesn’t have to stay “inside the lines” as a typical stained glass artist would have to do. And Guy doesn’t normally use vitreous enamels which are special paints containing “frit” (powdered glass) in his works. Instead he uses multiple layers of flashed glass which is then often etched in designated areas to produce the desired effect. Since the color is actually glass instead of paint Guys work has all the richness and reflection of glass. As you know paint is duller than most colored glass. The individual glass creations are laminated or fused to a clear tempered glass base. This process eliminates the need to have a line of lead between the individual pieces as in most other stained glass works. Kemper’s works are awesome to view as many of them seem to move and change as the viewer moves about. This stunning effect is probably due to the interplay of light as it hits or passes through the different colored layers of the glass from different viewing angles.

Guy Kemper lives in central Kentucky and being from Kentucky has had a huge influence on his work. Guy says that many German artists settled in the river towns like Cincinnati, Louisville, Chicago, and St. Louis, after they immigrated to America 150 years ago. These glass artists make some of the finest American glass, probably the best stained glass, as that is the craft that most of them were trained in. Mr. Kemper says that Louisville especially has some of the best glass in the country. Guy lives in the Kentucky countryside near Lexington. He grew up in the city but he really loves the country. Guy says “I love Kentucky. I have traveled all over the world but I never would seriously consider living anywhere else”. In his art you can see the blues, greens, reds, and (picket fence) whites of the Blue Grass rural areas near Lexington where so many fine race horses are raised. (Article continued after two more pictures of Guy’s work).

Baker Train Station window, Seattle

Detail, Seattle window (“Seattle Sunrise”)

Much of Guy’s architectural work is too large to fabricate in his own shop so he has Derix Glasstudios in Germany make the glass from his drawings and paintings. Many consider Derix to be the best glass fabrication company in the world. After being commissioned to do the Orlando International Airport in 2000 he sought help as this was his largest work up to that time. He met Wilhelm Derix who offered some ideas and was very helpful. Apparently recognizing Guy’s artistic talent Wilhelm said “you really should just paint. Don’t even use your pencil; just start painting. And let me worry about how to make it”. Guy says that he took the advice, although not always 100% (as he still does some drawing and some glass work himself). It appears that they have worked together well over the years since then!

The window by Guy at Orlando International was unique in another way. It was a memorial to his late brother, Mark, who passed away shortly before he designed the window. Guy says that like flight, life has a transitory beauty uniquely its own. I believe that Guy wanted to celebrate the beauty of flight, and of life, in this lovely airport window. It is entitled So Long Bro. Many thousands of arriving and departing travelers are inspired by this work of glass art.

To see more of Guy’s work go to his web site at http://kemperstudio.com Be sure to watch the PBS documentary video featuring Guy Kemper’s work. It is about 8 minutes long but very impressive (well worth the short time spent watching it).

Important note: I receive no money or material benefit of any kind from featuring glass artists on my web site (CraftingGlass.com). My work here is purely “a labor of love” so to speak. I hope viewers (and artists) like this new feature of this site. If you are a glass artist of any kind, even if you are a relatively new artist, I would be glad to consider featuring you here. Just send pictures of some of your work and tell me a little about yourself. Jerry (Webmaster, Crafting Glass).

Another note: Here is a link to Derix Studios: http://www.derix.com/en/

Here is Guy’s Orlando International Airport Window:

Technorati Tags: art glass windows, artist of the month, decorative windows, stained glass

Painted Glass/Stained Glass Vase Better? How Does This Relate To Stained Glass Windows?

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:36:59 +0000

What Is the Difference Between Stained Glass And “Painted Glass” (Or Is There Any Real Difference)?

The glass vase looked beautiful, I thought. I was at a flea market vendors booth years ago just looking at glassware to buy for my wife. At the time I was a real novice in glass (speaking broadly about all categories of glass knowledge, such as collecting, art glass, and glass crafting). I didn’t buy the vase right away but vowed to come back later to buy it unless I found “something better”. In talking to a friendly vendor at another booth I found out that a buyer must be cautious because some glassware items have the color painted on with a chemical solution which is then fired to make it “permanent” on the glass. This process is called “staining” the glass. I later found that some collectors, and even some dealers, call this technique “flashing” although that is not really the correct name. Whatever name it is called, the problem with glassware made by this technique is that the thin chemical coating (or “paint”) can wear off in time with a lot of handling and washing. Needless to say, I did not buy the vase that the first dealer had for sale! So keep in mind that when talking about collectible glass pieces, such as a vase, the techniques of Flashing, Casing, and Plating are separate layers of glass applied to the piece and that Stain is a painted on coating.

Now we will talk about Stained Glass Windows. They are a different animal from the collectible glass mentioned above! Stained glass windows have a history over a thousand years old! From what I can learn of the early times it appears that most of the medieval windows were made by painting a special mixture containing tiny glass particles (frit) over the desired piece of glass and then firing the glass and “paint” in a kiln to fix the painted design on to the glass piece. Most, but not all, modern stained glass windows are made with a different method. This later technique involves cutting a clear or colored glass to fit in a part of a pattern drawn on tracing paper or similar material. The glass piece is normally not painted. It is used “as is”. Its shape and color make it part of the design. The glass piece is then held in place in the window by lead or copper foil and solder. For a little more information look at my glossary terms below. The glossary for Crafting Glass may be found on the upper left side of this web page. Thanks for visiting, Jerry (webmaster, craftingglass.com)

STAINED GLASS – Commonly used to describe any colored flat glass or any object made of such glass joined by metal strips. The term originally applied to colored or clear flat glass cut to fit an artist’s design, on which details were painted in pigment with a brush. The glass pieces were then heated in a kiln or oven to bond the pigment to the glass surface. This firing makes the painted detail as durable and permanent as the glass itself. Most religious windows from medieval times until this century were executed in this manner, and so the term came to be used first for any architectural application, and then for any design in colored flat glass. It is now universally accepted as a convenient general term to define the art, the craft, and the industry

PAINTED GLASS – Glass on which special paints (containing frit) have been applied in illustration or decorative pattern and then heated in a kiln to a temperature high enough to fuse the pigments permanently to the glass surface. The modern version of the original medieval “stained glass.”

Technorati Tags: art glass, collectible glass, flashed glass, glass stain, stained glass

Entries Only Accepted In The Contest For Two More Weeks

admin — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 00:01:59 +0000

Hey viewers, Don’t miss out! The contest will end in two weeks for today.Remember, the contest is to find the most beautiful glass window picture in the world (or at least in our little portion of it). Win one hundred bucks just for sending in a digital window picture. I love beautiful glass windows, don’t you? For the details (there are a few simple rules) go to:

http://hubpages.com/hub/VoteTheMostBeautifulGlassWindowInTheWorld

I’ll be grateful if you participate! )

Jerry (webmaster: Crafting Glass)

Technorati Tags: art glass, beveled glass, etched glass, glass window, most beautiful window, stained glass