Texas Window for a Texas Sculptor

This window was delivered today and will be displayed in John Bennett's Rodeo Studio and Gallery located at 208 E. San Antionio St. in wonderful Fredericksburg, Texas. John does beautiful bronze sculptures with a western theme and commissioned this window for the front of his gallery. The building has a historical designation so he has submitted an application to the Historical Board to be able to permanently install the piece which would eliminate the styles that show through the image. Hopefully the committee will approve but if they don't I suppose it can be displayed as you see it here. Stop in and see John if you are in Fredericksburg.

"Longhorn Legends"

Another window with the reverse painted images.

"Head Em Up - Move Em Out"

Here is my latest piece and I have added some reverse painting to enhance the detail. Because the painting is on the back of the glass, when it is applied to the mosaic it is sealed between two pieces of glass making it totally protected. In the past I have used this technique only for detail such as veining on leaves etc. but this is a new approach. I have also used a dark sky this time to add to the drama of the piece.
It is interesting that in this photo there is more reflected light and most of the lighter purple pieces in the sky seem to disappear!

Fall Leaves for the North Carolina Mountains

Here are two windows that I just completed for our daughter and son in law's home in the North Carolina mountains. They are depictions of the fall colors to blend with the earth tones used in the design of the home. These two upper windows allowed bright sunlight to heat up the room. Adding the multiple layers of glass should diffuse the light and keep the room more comfortable. We stayed for 3 days but the weather was overcast the entire time which did not give us the opportunity to see how well they work!
The overcast days also kept me from taking very effective photos! The installation process was a two man job because of the height of the openings.
The windows will also be a good addition to the look of the exterior when it is dark outside and the home is lighted inside. (No photos - sorry!)

Floral Vase and Texas Window

Two new pieces.

Blue Moon Rising and Hill Country Sunset III

Here are two more variations of my Hill Country
landscapes. One is titled
"Hill Country Sunset III".
The other is "Blue Moon Rising". The sunset piece was just finished today. On it I have added a few pieces of glass to the frame as though the image comes outside the limits of the frame. Both have additional layers of glass added (glass plating) which add to the detail and depth of the colors.

"Blue Moon Rising" is sold. The other piece is available.

Remember the Alamo!

This is my most recent commission piece. It was done for another artist and he designed the layout and asked me to interpret it. The image includes almost all things Texas - the flag, yellow roses, a Mockingbird, and of course, the Alamo! I am showing it both before installation and his photos of it after installation.

Hill Country Sunset II

These two windows were completed on our recent trip to Colorado. One is a remake of my Hill Country Sunset design with more reds and blues and less orange. The second is one of my typical Texas Wildflower designs. Neither of these have the additional layers of glass added to the surface.

Multi-Layer Stained Glass Windows

These two new windows have the added dimension of additional layers of glas added to the surface making them dimensional.

Mockingbird and Roses

Here are the latest windows. The Mockingbird and Roses is new and the Wildflower Bouquet has been reworked with additional layers of glass being added to some of the elements. This creates a more dimensional effect. Both will be displayed at Studio 2600 in Dallas.

3 New Windows!!!

Here are three new pieces that I completed in the past week. The large "Yellow Rose of Texas" is a commission piece and the other two are to place at Artisans of Rocky Hill Gallery in Fredricksburg, Texas. The smaller one titled "Yellow Rose and Bluebonnet Medley" uses a new technique that I haven't tried before. The flowers are made of multiple layers of glass which adds to their dimension and also enhance their colors.

"Texas Proud"

Here is my latest window. I have included a mockingbird with Yellow Roses and my always present bluebonnets. The photos have some trees behind the bottom of the piece so the flower and bird detail are not shown as well as they are in person.

Tropical Fish door panel

Here is the largest project that I have tackled so far. In the photos you will see that this bathroom door had a large glass panel. The client wanted this to be the bathroom for guests to access from their new pool. The client and her husband are both diving enthusiasts and had decorated the room with all kinds of fishy "stuff". Their only direction was to use as much color as possible and make it whimsical. The additional photos show the completed project. This panel was so large and delicate that I was unable to lift it to see the transmitted light until it was actually installed on site. We were very happy with the results!

Newest Piece - "Floating Flowers" - 24" tall

Here is my most recent piece. It is a vase which is 24" tall and approximately 12" across at the widest point. It is very dimensional because of the large vintage jewels used and also because of the use of broken safety glass for the clear background. I have been carrying 2 buckets of this safety glass around for severl years. It has moved with me a couple of times and just never knew what to use if for. I would recommend it!!! You get a completely different look since it is cracked but not separated in many places. This allows direct light to really reflect on those cracks! Now I only have one and 3/4 buckets to move around.

Texas Wildflower Mosaic Windows

Many of my windows and vases are images of Texas Wildflowers. Here are some examples of a few of the smaller ones. They all include both new and vintage stained glass and vintage glass jewels.

Glass Mosaic Garden Window

One fun use for glass mosaics is to create them using old window frames. The frame can be painted or left "rough" depending on the look you want. The only way I have displayed mine so far have been hung on a patio so there has been a little protection from the elements but I think you could just as easily hang them in some sort of a frame in your garden. Since windows are constructed to withstand weather, I believe they would be very durable shown this way. These were made with my usual glass-on-glass mosaic technique. My design was of 6 different Texas wildflowers - Purple Cone Flower, Indian Blanket, Sunflower, Indian Paintbrush, Bluebonnets, and Yuccas.