"Hearty Oak"

This is another small Oak tree piece. It has several layers of glass and although it is small, the one inch cedar frame may not be strong enough to support it hung so it may have to be displayed on a small easel. The foilage was first represented by large pieces of glass in various colors of green that were applied to the background glass and then grouted. After the grout had cured the additional leaves are the glass shards that I have used to represent leaves in the past. The underbrush in the foreground also has glass shards for leaves as well as round glass beads to represent berries of some sort.

"Bullseye!"

This window is a departure from what I ordinarily make - I have focused on the materials and the beauty of the materials rather than on a recognizable image. It is made from stained glass, vitreous glass tiles, safety glass, vintage rhinestones, and beads.

This is another commission minature that I completed before Christmas. It is supposed to represent a pot of violets. In many areas there are up to 4 or more layers of glass. The vintage rhinestones that were used to create the violet blooms are really beautiful in the sunlight!

"Springtime Hummer" and "Aqua Hills"

It's time to make a new hummingbird for the spring - they will be showing up before we know it. The background on this piece is different from most I have done in the past. In stead of the usual squares I have chosen to use strips of glass. They alternate between clear textured and clear iridized. This window will be available at Artisans of Rocky Hill in Fredericksburg, TX.

"Aqua Hills" is much smaller - just 11" x 14". The border is mosaic but the image area is just layers of glass, beads, rhinestones, and glass enamels. It can be displayed in a window but also displays on an easel.

Two Florals using Safety Glass

These two pieces measure 24" x 24" - a new size that I think will be appropriate for many windows. In both of these windows the background has been created with shattered safety glass. In the past I have only used this type of glass on a vase. The fractures that don't actually break apart catch a lot of light and really sparkle! This glass is also about twice as thick as the usual stained glass so it adds to the dimensional quality of the piece. In the "Texas Wildflower Square Dance" window many vintage jewels were utilized in creating the flowers so the cut edges of the jewels also create sparkle. The glass surrounding the image is a dark brown which doesn't let much light through so the shape of the circles is dominant.

Class information and more minatures

Here are a couple of minatures that were completed before the holidays. I have been working on several new pieces and will post photos as soon as they are done.

Also, for those who are interested, I will be teaching classes in both my regular glass on glass mosaic technique and my minature glass on glass mosiac technique through the Weatherford ISD Continuing Education program in the next several months. If you would like to check on the classes look at:

http://comed.weatherfordisd.com/