About Glasswench
Hello! My name is Kelli and I love stained glass.
The love affair started years ago. I have always been a fan of artsy/crafty stuff, handmade for the most part. I love art and wine fairs, craft fairs, all that stuff. Glass and pottery have always been special favorites. Several years ago, when I was finally in a position financially, to be able to take a pottery class, I did, and loved it. Unfortunately, a shoulder injury ended that. Hard to pull something up on the potters wheel when your shoulder is jacked up.
In 2001 I was fortunate enough to go to Paris. Paris was a delight, all the architecture and stonework, the statues and monuments, the art and of course, the cathedrals. One in particular took my breath away; Sainte-Chapelle. Built in 1248, it took only two years to be built (an astonishingly short span of time. Notre Dame took 180 years to complete). Initially built to house the Crown of Thorns and a fragment of the True Cross, the structure is small, compared to Notre Dame. I didn’t make it into Notre Dame (the lines were hellish long and it was pouring rain) so I cannot compare the two cathedral’s glass, but the Sainte-Chapelle’s glass is mind blowing. The upper part of the cathedral was reserved for the king, Louis IX, so is resplendent with the finest craftmanship available at the time. The entire upper portion is walled in stained glass, depicting scenes from the bible. Back in those days, almost everyone was illiterate, so pictures were the only way to go. There are 6456 square feet of stained glass in those windows. They were removed before WWII, in anticipation of Hitler’s invasion, as where most of the works of art from the Louvre. They were lovingly restored in the 19th century, but pollution is taking a toll on the glass, eating away at the lead and painting. If you ever visit Paris, go to Sainte-Chapelle, it is gorgeous.
Rose Window
Stories from the Bible
(I totally stole these photos from this website: http://homepage.mac.com/j.norstad/paris2006/chapelle.html)
Long view of the Rose Window
Detail of sidelights
(and these two I stole from: flickr.com — mathteacherguy and allanimal)
After this trip, I was very smitten with the art, and determined to learn it. In 2005, a local Adult Education Class offered a beginner’s stained glass class, and I signed up. Instantly hooked, like a trout on the line. I have take a couple additional classes since then, and frequently ask questions at the local glass shop, but for the most part, what I have learned is from books, experimentation, and talking to other glass artists.
It is immensely rewarding to take a design from conception to hanging in the window. To be a part of the birth of beauty. I love working with it, and I hope you enjoy my pictures and notes on each piece.
Hi Kelli,
Are you still selling your work?
I adore your Buddha and lotus pieces. As well as the Ganesha.
Please let me know if there are any available for purchase.
Deborah
Hi Deborah,
What a generous thing to say! Thank you!
I definitely sell my work.The Buddha and Lotus is sold, but it is my own pattern, and I can easily remake it. Ganesha is my personal piece, not sure I want to sell him… working on him was a refuge for me during a difficult time. But again, its my pattern and I can do another one. I am in fact doing a second ganesha piece for a friend, so I have two versions, the dancing ganesha version with the outdoor background, and a more traditional pose, with him sitting on his lotus throne. I think I have a pic of that second version on the site. anyway, let me know if you want something, and we’ll talk prices and colors. the smaller buddha piece was $65 I believe, so something like that, unless you go larger.
thanks you much for the interest.
kelli g (glasswench)
absolutely am selling it. at this time, i do not have anything ready to ship. working on christmas commissions, lol. I am happy to take an order though. i have time for one more piece by christmas, if you are interested.
Hi I love your work and was wonder with the lotus is it copper foil on top of a solid piece of glass or are all the pieces cut? if that makes sense? the reason I ask is how did you manage to get such sharp points on the blue background?? as I am cutting something with points like that and they keep breaking??
thank you for the compliments. each piece is cut out. I have a taurus ring saw for that stuff. sometimes it feels like cheating, lol, but i love my saw. the only other way you can do those sharp angles, and they don’t turn out sharp but it does work, is to grind it down. you have to switch your bits out smaller and smaller, until you are using the thinnest bit, but it does work. depends on your patience level. good luck! send me some photos, would love to see your work.