Stained glass oak tree window fitted

After much mucky work, I finished the oak tree window last weekend. Rather than fitting it straight away I wanted to let it settle for a week so the putty could set and harden without cracking. 

Fitting was straightforward, a thorough clean of the host frame and glass, a bead of bonding agent and in she went; a perfect fit. I will leave it a few days to settle and for the bond to fully cure, then a brown silicone sealant just to finish it off. It looks stunning in its new home, we had a very rare squirt of sunshine and the tree just exploded in colour. The whispey and semi opaque glasses absolutely come alive and give a great depth to the picture. The abstract modern style sits very comfortably underneath the more traditional panel with all the painted detail. 

Needless to say, both the new owner and I are very happy with this one; I hope you like it. 

Stained glass portrait

One subject I am asked if I can do more than any other is the stained glass portrait. And the main subjects tend to be pets rather than people; are they saying something? Whether man or beast, we try to make the portrait as accurate as possible, with recognisable details, and we try really hard to capture and portray the character of the subject. But it is also a piece of glass art and should be able to stand alone as an eye catching thing of beauty. 

We either use copper foil or the appliqué method of constructing the pictures depending how they have been designed and the effect we are trying to achieve and we try to use glass which will still produce a lovely image whether the light is reflected or transmitted. The pictures are made entirely out of intricately cut and shaped coloured glass and 

assembled like a delicate jigsaw puzzle. The effect is remarkable, but very time consuming. 

Nearly done

That's most of the leadwork done, just a couple of border pieces left to do. It's always a relief when the last piece goes in and fits perfectly up to the line. This window has been by far the most difficult to lead up that I have done so far; it has consumed six 1.8 metre lengths of 6mm flat came and three full days work. Looks great though and I am very pleased, if a little stiff in the back.