It was one of the things I remember as a young boy the pretty stained glass windows at church. I never did understand who the people were they portrayed or the names they were dedicated by, but I was mesmerized by the beauty and have always found stained glass a beautiful art form. Those were my days of youth and now quite past that period, I no longer just gaze wistfully at stained glass windows but, labor out of love on them.

I started my quest as an artist quite by accident and owe it to my daughter and her love for the colored glass. She was the one that took the class and it was she who taught me to cut glass and the art of foiling. I mostly do  leaded pieces now, I find it easier and less demanding, I never could get the iron at just the right temperature to make the solder flow smoothly and with the precision that lead affords me. I realize the dangers of working with lead but there is also danger in the fumes from flux. I have decided that I can keep my fingers out of my mouth as a general rule easier than I can hold my breath for extended periods of time to keep from inhaling the fumes while I solder.

Stained glass as a hobby could be an expensive one, depending on the tools purchased, type of glass used, and it is labor intensive. A lot of work goes onto a quality piece, and if you make your own designs and patterns a piece of any size can take many hours before you cut one piece of glass.

Some people understand this, especially if they are artist or have experience working in any discipline, some do not. They see the lamps on TV that sell for less than 200 dollars and think all glass should be gauged by those prices. Despite the handicaps of friends wanting you to make them items for free, those who think a weeks labor is only worth a hundred dollars. Stained glass is a wonderful hobby for anyone that enjoys precision, design and pride that comes with a piece you designed and completed. Cut fingers, the box of glass that did not break as you thought it would are soon forgotten as you look at the sun skipping across your piece conceived in your mind and executed through your efforts, what a wonderful feeling.