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B RILLIA NT- ON LIN E AUGUS T 2021
SHINING A LEADLIGHT ON A DYING ART ✦ Mark Wilson, also known as That Leadlight Guy, walks us through the lead lighting process and techniques
❊ “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work – and the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” - Steve Jobs.
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being fortunate enough to retire, works part-time for the Chamber of Commerce and part-time for himself, which has allowed him to return to his true passion of designing, manufacturing and installing lead light windows. Mark started his trade working part time for a small family business before he left school after completing his HSC. Upon leaving school he went full time into the retail shop and also taught adults stained glass and lead lighting hobby courses. He learned his trade from the ground up, as a 15-year-old sweeping the floors and stocking the shelves in the retail shop. He learnt the craft from the owners and his love for lead lighting stemmed from there. Having a natural knack for the art, he enjoys the creative side, coupled with the technical aspects of the construction and the craftsmanship involved.
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his much borrowed quote from Mr Jobs certainly applies to local resident Mark Wilson, who has adapted his man cave into a workshop for his passion: handcrafting stunning Leadlight creations and restorations. Some readers may recognise Mark, otherwise known as That Leadlight Guy, as his business has been established in Port Macquarie for about 12 years since he moved here from Canberra. Mark previously worked in the motor trade and now,
Contact That Leadlight Guy for leadlight & stained glass repairs, restorations and new commission work now in the Mid North Coast area:
Understanding glass “There are a few things you’ve got to be capable of doing,” Mark told us. “One is handling the glass and understanding what glass is. The other is being good with your hands and having excellent eye hand coordination. You need to have very good, very sensitive fingers and very good feeling in your hands as to what’s going on with the glass. The movements in your hands need to be less than millimeters whilst applying pressure so that something moves only a miniscule amount at any one time.”
0412 221 204 www.facebook.com/thatleadlightguy 6/114 William Street, Port Macquarie
