art beat

Music For Your Eyes

Stained Glass Artist Virginia Hamill

STORY BY CARLA EDSTROM

Glass has been around for centuries. There is evidence of that with natural glass-like obsidian, otherwise known as black volcanic glass. Museums are filled with these pieces that were generally used for hunting, decoration, and tools dating back to 3500 BC. Glass has evolved greatly from natural forms into being manufactured for many other uses including construction, storage, and art. Stained glass has also been around in the United States for centuries. The dance between sunlight and color has always been a fascination for artists. The different prisms and dancing hues in relationship to how much or how little light goes through glass is a miracle. Colored glass changed our perceptions because we look through the color veiling our eyes from what is natural.

“I began making Stained Glass because of its beauty. I especially love it in a place where the light changes it’s look almost continuously. Stained Glass is music for your eyes,” explained Virginia Hamill, a stained glass artist from St. James. “I have always been creative and have dabbled in many, many art forms. I have enjoyed them all to some extent, but nothing as much as Stained Glass. I am always trying to improve my skills; shooting for perfection while delighting in what I do achieve.” And she does that very well. Her stained glass pieces are beautiful, unique, and very well made. Her large transom windows are especially breathtaking.

Growing up in New Jersey and Greensboro, North Carolina, Hamill and her husband moved to the Southport area to be close to the ocean. “We love the ocean,” she said. “We always wanted to live on the coast, and we chose North Carolina because we fell in love with this state after many visits to our daughter.” After spending many years working in sales jobs, but always being creative, Hamill found a passion in retirement for creating art with glass. “All my working career has been in sales, of one kind or another,” said Hamill. “I retired after completing nearly 25 years as a Real Estate Broker in New Jersey. At one point we lived close to an art glass gallery. I ended up taking classes in Stained Glass and thus began my love affair with glass,” she said. “The training I received from a woman who ran a glass gallery inspired me greatly. She was very accomplished and generous in imparting some of her knowledge to me.”

According to Hamill, a lot of time goes into each piece that she creates. “Although Stained Glass is a lengthy process; cutting, grinding, foiling, soldering, cleaning, waxing and framing, the beauty of the finished product is well worth the effort and tremendously rewarding,” she said. “The most challenging aspect of creating a really lovely stained glass piece is choosing the perfect pieces of glass. I choose ones that will assist me in conveying the feeling I want others to experience when looking at the completed piece.”

Hamill is continually learning new techniques and designing new glass pieces. She is also in the process of buying a kiln so she can make other kinds of glass art. “I am buying a kiln so I can create fused glass which I feel will be a nice addition to some of my stained glass work,” she said. “Presently I am creating a pattern, from which I intend to make two transom windows for our family room.”

Many artists will tell you that they have their favorite pieces, but keeping everything they create would fill a house or more. Getting a piece of art directly from an artist is truly special because most would only gift you something they love themselves. “There are pieces that are my favorites but since I often sell or gift these items, I presently own only a few,” said Hamill. “I do photograph every item that I make just in case I want to refer to it or someone wants to see my work.”

“I enjoy creating Stained Glass very much and feel so very grateful for the opportunity to do so,” said Hamill. “I’m inspired every day, sometimes by artistic ability I see in someone else. Art surrounds us, we just have to take it in and appreciate it.”

You can see more of Hamill’s stained glass at the Artisans Gallery on Howe in Southport. Hamill also creates custom orders. Contact her directly via email at vhamill1@gmail.com.

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