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Dawn Thompson • Independence, IA |
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I have read that looking at stained glass lowers your blood pressure and eases stress. I certainly believe it. Glass is the most dynamic of mediums; it changes throughout the day, looks entirely different on sunny days as opposed to cloudy days and is transformed when viewed from the back with incandescent lighting.
I have always been fascinated with glass and stained glass windows. I think of glass as a medium with which I attempt to realize a vision, just as a painter does with oil paints.
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I like to retain some decorative elements of the traditional window into my panels in order to merge the old with the new creating something entirely unique. In honor of the tradition of the medium, and with the exception of the soldering iron, I avoid the use of any power tools when creating my panels.Working with glass in the traditional lead came method is a true test of patience and discipline.
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There are a myriad of constraints to design and you never really know what the piece will look like until the last joint is soldered and you hold it up to the light. For an analytical mind, it is a joy. Each design concept is an intricate puzzle of geometry and physics. Each piece holds dozens of small victories and frustrations, and each piece is a small, or large, triumph upon completion.
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| Stained glass panels are generally constructed in one of two methods; the traditional lead came method or the copper foil method, often called the "Tiffany Method". The steps followed to create a lead came panel are essentially unchanged from the Middle Ages. Since the pieces of glass must be able to slide together to fit into a lead channel, a lead piece must be carefully designed to fit. While the copper foil method does not have these constraints, as the pieces are placed together then soldered along the seams, it does not have the consistent and fluid lines typical of those seen in traditionally constructed church or home windows. |
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