GLASSPAINTING: Spanning the Centuries… Molding, Forming, Creating Depth and Dimension with Light and Color.

Stained & painted glass is historically embedded in the history of ecclesiastical windows. Today this flexible and dynamic art form can be found as frequently in homes, restaurants, offices, schools and public places. Ever expanding styles in architecture and diverse public taste have opened unlimited expression for this already historically rich and emotive art form.

Stained glass is generally thought of as glass infused with pigments during manufacture. Simply put, painted glass incorporates pigment oxides and/or metallic oxides & vitreous glass. These finely ground elements are mixed with liquid stabilizers, often water and gum arabic, and applied to a glass surface, then permanently adhered by fusing through kiln firing. Paintings can be created on clear glass, stained glass or a combination of the two with glass stainers (generally opaque), silver stains and glass enamels.

Painting on glass is working with light passing through the glass medium rather than reflecting off a surface as in canvas, paper or board. Highlights are taken away rather than added to the surface; this is frequently described as negative painting.

Glasspainting aims to control light more effectively and define details as in faces, drapery folds, foliage, architectural images, landscapes, patterns, and non-objective manipulation of line and form. It is used to define an image in ways not possible with lead lines, glass etching and sandblasting, double-glazing, and like methods alone. Although stained glass windows, panels and screens can incorporate all these elements and more in both architectural settings and stand-alone art pieces.

Painting on glass can create or enhance texture. It is also a very effective way for the glass artist to control exactly where light comes through on any given piece of glass, by using both color and opacity. Traditionally the entire surface of a window or glass panel is not completely covered with paint; however, freedom in artistic expression and architectural need can take president over that rule, or any other non-structural constraint. Generally, when considering glass painting, a combination of both unpainted and painted areas can produce beautiful, inspiring results whether an abstract, a minimal design, or a detailed figurative work is planned. Most agree that restorations should adhere to the letter of the style, treatment and purpose of the original work.