KICKING GLASS
KICKING GLASS A CREATIVE GUIDE TO STAINED GLASS CRAFT NEILE COOPER WITH ROBERT GIAQUINTA
HERBERT PRESS Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 50 Bedford Square, London, Wc1B 3 DP, uK 29 Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland BLOOMSBURY, HERBERT PRESS and the Herbert Press logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published in Great Britain in 2022 Copyright © Neile Cooper, 2022 Neile Cooper has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Author of this work All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers Bloomsbury Publishing Plc does not have any control over, or responsibility for, any third-party websites referred to or in this book. All internet addresses given in this book were correct at the time of going to press. The author and publisher regret any inconvenience caused if addresses have changed or sites have ceased to exist, but can accept no responsibility for any such changes A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication data has been applied for ISBN 978-1-78994-049-7; eBook: 978-1-78994-050-3 2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1 Text designed and typeset by illuminati, Grosmont Printed and bound in China by RR Donnelley Asia Printing Solutions Limited
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CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
vii
INTRODUCTION
1
STUDIO SETUP & SAFETY
9
TOOLS & SUPPLIES
15
GLASS
25
CUTTING GLASS
31
USING PATTERNS
43
FOILING
47
LAYOUT
51
SOLDERING
53
FINISHING
59
CLEAN, PATINA, & POLISH
67
DESIGNING PATTERNS
71
SUNCATCHERS 1 FIRST FEATHER
82
2 ROSE QUARTZ 3 PINK MOON 4 CATENARY
81
84
85 86
5 WISP OF A WING
88
6 HONEYCOMB CLUSTER 7 KATONAH MOTH
90
FEATURED ARTISTS
92
FOUND & FORAGED INCORPORATING CURIOS PRESSED EPHEMERA JEWELRY
97
Courtney Baker
98
Patrick Hurley
100
103 104
9 PEACOCK FEATHER SUNCATCHER
Janel Foo
106
108
11 OYSTERS ON ASPEN
111
3D CONSTRUCTION
115
3D SOLDERING TECHNIQUES 12 BASIC BOX
78 79
Bryony Jo Lane
8 PRESSED FLOWER POSY 10 COMET MOTH
Missy Graff Ballone
116
117
13 BUTTERFLY PLANT STAKE 14 BUTTERFLY ALIGHTS
124
15 HOME SWEET HOME
126
16 CURIO CATCH-ALL
122
128
17 MOTHS TO A FLAME PORCHLIGHT 18 GLASSWING IN FLIGHT
134
RECLAIMED WINDOWS 19 FIREFLY CABIN WINDOW
131
140
141
PATTERNS
146
SUPPLIERS
167
94
95
Helena Rakhuba
113
Flannery Cronin
138
Kara Bussey
139
12
GLASS Vibrant, lushly rainbowed light that irresistibly captures your eye is what provides the immediate magic of stained glass. Then gem-like gleams created by bubbles, ripples, fractures, and textures draw you to approach, enchanted by the sparkles and shifting iridescence created by your own movement. Next, you bathe in the warmth of the layers of deeper tones where light seems to be captured rather than transmitted. Eventually you appreciate the design and craft of the piece too, but you can’t deny that it’s the GLASS that grabs you first. The glass itself is artwork, and it’s easy to see how artists are inspired by this medium.
PROJECT 1
First Feather This project is inspired by the family of chickadees who live in the little birdhouse atop my cabin. I usually start my students with this project, as it is easy to complete in one day. A simple design like this emphasizes the role of glass selection: will you choose your colors and textures to express your mood, or will you draw from nature’s palette and represent your favorite bird, or will you choose wild colors that would only be paired up in an imagined, fantastical creature?
a
SUPPLIES ■ ■
2–3 colors of glass All standard stained glass tools and supplies PATTERN
■
82
Two copies of the First Feather pattern on page 149. One copy will be cut up to make templates, the other will be kept intact and used to position the glass pieces in the proper position (a).
KICKING GL ASS
b
INSTRUCTIONS 1 Prepare templates (see page 43). Use regular scissors to cut the perimeter line of the paper pattern, and switch to foil pattern shears to cut the interior lines (b). If you have not yet purchased pattern shears, go ahead and use regular scissors – small projects with few pieces don’t require the accuracy provided by pattern shears. If you do have shears, use them now so that you’ll get familiar with their use and build good habits for future projects.
c
2 Select your glass. This step is so much fun, but can also be overwhelming! Try to pick a mood for your piece… earthy and natural, or wild and colorful. Notice the markings on the pattern that indicate grain lines and align the marks to the grain in the glass. Glue the templates to the glass with rubber cement (c). 3 Cut the glass (see page 31). Remember, you’re practicing your craft, so if a piece doesn’t break properly, glue the template to a fresh piece of glass and recut.
d
4 Grind. Keep the template on the glass and grind (see page 40) exactly to the edge of the piece of paper, creating a glass piece that’s a perfect match to the pattern. Remove and discard the paper template, clean and dry the piece, and lay it upon the uncut paper pattern to check for fit (d). Mark any areas where it is not fitting with a marker and go back to the grinder. When the fit is right, number your piece of glass to correspond with its place on the pattern.
e
f
5 Foil. Decide now whether you’ll use a patina (see page 68) to color your solder lines, then select foil with the backing color that matches your patina choice. Focus on centering the glass on the foil to create an equal overhang on both faces (e). Burnish with a fid so that the foil is smooth, and trim away any overhang with a craft knife.
6 Lay your foiled pieces back on the pattern and pin snugly in place with pushpins (f).
h
i
g
7 Flux and solder the project, running a lovely rounded bead along the front and back (g), as described in the Soldering chapter on page 53, and around the edge, as shown on page 56.
8 Attach a wire hook for hanging (h). See page 61 for instructions.
9 Clean, patina if desired (i), and polish (see page 69). If you wait, you risk corrosion and oxidation, so do these steps now, and your project will shine at full luster. Congrats: you’ve completed your first project!
SUNCATCHERS
83
PROJECT 8
Pressed Flower Posy SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■
Dried and pressed-flat flowers and leaves. I love to use Queen Anne’s lace, hydrangea, and ferns for these little romantic posies.
■
Thin clear float glass (2 mm thick)
■
Thin colored glass (I recommend Bullseye’s thin 2 mm)
■
All-purpose glue and a toothpick for application
■
Wide foil: ¼” or 3/8”
■
Wire for hanging loop, 18 or 20 gauge PATTERN
■
104
KICKING GL ASS
One copy of the Pressed Flower Posy pattern on page 157 at 100%
a
b
c
INSTRUCTIONS 3 Grind gently to preserve your very straight cuts.
1 Stack the pattern upon a second piece of paper, and use a straightedge and craft knife to cut the pages simultaneously into two identical templates.
4 Clean both glass pieces thoroughly with glass cleaner and allow to dry completely.
2 Cut one glass piece in colored glass and one in clear (though both clear is pretty too), using a straightedge (a) to make a perfectly straight score (page 34 for tips on cutting with a straightedge).
5 Arrange your leaves and flowers in a pleasing composition upon the backing piece of glass. For now, leave any overhang.
d
e
8 Stack the front and back pieces together and foil with a wide foil (d).
10 Solder a neat rounded edge bead (e).
9 Apply flux sparingly so that none gets between the pieces of glass.
11 Bend the wire into a small hanging loop and solder neatly at the top (f).
6 Use the toothpick to apply tiny dabs of glue near the edge of the glass (which will be covered by foil) to hold the items in place (b). You don’t need much glue, just enough to prevent the petals from shifting while you arrange and foil. Allow the glue to dry before moving on. 7 Trim any overhanging ephemera (c).
f
12 Clean, patina, and polish very carefully, taking care that no liquid seeps between the pieces of glass.
FOUND & FOR AGED
105
PROJECT 14
Butterfly Alights This adorned box combines the previous two projects, Butterfly Plant Stake and Basic Box, and will allow you to tie your 3 D construction skills together. Add as many butterflies as you like (or can fit) to the top and sides. Arrange them so that their wings barely touch, and a dab of connecting solder will provide extra strength. SPECIAL SUPPLIES ■
Brass hinge tube PATTERN
■
Two copies of Butterfly Alights pattern from page 161 at 100%
INSTRUCTIONS 1 Cut, foil, and grind the glass pieces, using templates and straightedge. 2 Construct butterfly using the Butterfly Plant Stake instructions on page 122. 3 Construct the box using the Basic Box instructions on page 117. Do not attach the cover to the base yet.
124
KICKING GL ASS
4 Attach the butterfly to the cover, soldering it neatly and firmly to the junction of the interior line and the edge, as shown in the photo. Anchoring to the interior line creates strength, preventing the weight of the butterfly from eventually tearing the foil and solder on the front edge.
5 To add butterflies that are still ‘flying’ attach a short length of tinned tube as we did in the Butterfly Plant Stake project. Solder the free end of the tube to a strong solder line on the box and solder the edge of a wing to that of another butterfly for support. 6 Attach the cover to the base (following the instructions in the Hinges section on page 120), then clean, patina, and polish.