Custom Stained Glass

Summer Rain (stained glass panel about 36" x 24")

Yesterday I ranted, so I thought today I would take it easy. Earlier this month, I promised you another stained glass window. Here y'go.

This one is actually the second one I made using this pattern. The first pattern was made for a woman who wanted a window for her bathroom that had a Frank Lloyd Wright style to it. I had been doing stained glass for a couple of months, and this was my first real commission on anything. She wanted it in blues, with a modern feel. There had to be light, but privacy, too. The privacy issue eliminated Wright's signature use of design around the outside to allow for full light and visibility in the middle of the window. I wanted it to look sort of like falling rain.

Anyhow. I liked the design so much that I made one for myself. Of course it's been sitting in my garage against the wall for the last few years, coming out only to make its annual trip to my school for the art teacher to use as a demonstration.

The most fun part of making a window is picking out the glass. Some of the glass in this window is handmade, and quite pricey. The main panels with the slight strawberry swirl in them is a glass from the Youghiogheny Glass Company. Rather than the usual high polish that's on most glass, this one looks like it's made out of wax.

Then there's the ridged one that's a great olive color. It's hard to see it in the picture, but its ridges are so sharp that it reflects the light, and adds great texture to the composition.

The gold one is cool, too. Its ripples are so pronounced that it was hard to put into the lead because the ripples are actually taller than the lead, so you have to grind it at an angle to reduce the ripples enough to fit in the lead channel. It also has an iridescent finish.

But when you have exciting glass pieces like that, you have to offset them with some boring, "normal" glass, such as the green and amber squares in the repeating checkerboard motif.

It's sort of like wearing a fantastic necklace on a patterned top. Don't do it! Put it on a solid color, and let your jewelry stand out.

Make sure you stand out today!
Pastel Guy
www.matthewweld.com - pastel paintings
www.studio206.etsy.com - custom and handmade jewelry for sale

I Need You!

HELP!

Considering how much traffic has viewed my Jewelry Tutorial I and Jewelry Tutorial II, (a huge heap of thanks goes to Rena Klingenberg and her Jewelry Business Blog for featuring my tutorial a while ago), I think it's about time to make another. But I'd like to hear some opinion from my readers. I also think I may start making some really detailed ones and sell them on Etsy as downloadable files. There is a woman in Thailand who does that for $5 each, and seems to sell them pretty well.

So, here's a list of media in which I would feel comfortable making a tutorial:

1. silversmithing in general
2. soldering
3. turning your jewelry designs into reality
4. beaded work, perhaps making a successful random design
5. stained glass projects (maybe my Christmas tree earrings?)
6. pastel paintings
7. cuff bracelets
8. painting composition (decide what of a landscape scene to include)
9. bezel setting stones
10. insert your idea: ________________.

Please take a moment to comment so I can make plans!

Thanks,

Pastel Guy

www.studio206.etsy.com - jewelry store

www.matthewweld.com - pastels

This Is For You, Australia!

Happy Spring to the bottom half of the world!

Even though all the leaves are gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, and red around here (and the weather a balmy 74 F today), there is a part of the world where it's the opposite. It just seems weird. Christmas in the middle of the summer? What about all the snowflakes and everything that go along with Christmas? Do you have chili peppers and suns?

But, I digress. I hauled this window outside this weekend to photograph it. This is my first real project with stained glass. Unfortunately, I can't take credit for the pattern, although I did alter the colors quite a bit. (The actual size is about 24 x 30 inches)

In a later blog, I'll show you a window where I designed the whole deal. But this bouquet was quite an undertaking. It was made on our kitchen table. Now I have a whole, dedicated space to make things, but this was BS (no, silly, it means Before Studio).

Here's how it went down. It was right about the time my son was born. Our neighbor at the time owned a stained glass shop in town, and offered classes. One spring, I finally relented and took one. Very cool! I made the mandatory class project, but then had to go and do this as my very next project. 'Twas ever thus. I don't ever wade into a project or a new medium. I dive off the high dive!

So, with a small house, and no extra space, our kitchen (no dining room then!) turned into studio, with sheets of glass lying around, a grinder on the counter, and foil tape draped over the chairs.

But my wife was all very supportive (still is! - kisses, hon!) about it all. Not long after, I built myself a big 4 x 8 foot table in the basement. I still am using it today. It definitely was not part of the deal when we sold the house. That was coming with us!

So now I'm taking over part of the garage (glass and jewelry), and part of the playroom (pastels). I guess we're all hoping for the fame and accompanying fortune to set in....

Until tomorrow,

Pastel Guy

http://www.matthewweld.com/

http://www.studio206.etsy.com/

Announcing.....!

Now Open! Studio 206 Jewelry is finally available online!

Here's the dish:

While not everything is 'up there', there is enough to see what Studio 206 is all about, and more will be added a couple times each week, so stay tuned. There's also a section where you can request items. So for all you fans out there, find your PayPal number and start shopping! Christmas is in what, 80 days?

Studio 206 started after a class in stained glass when I started making picture frames and little angels. Along with some pendants made with techniques learned in the class, I frantically made enough merchandise for the local craft fair. The rest is history. This fall is my 8th anniversary, and I've moved from stained glass picture frames (they were pretty cool!) and custom windows to silversmithing and set stones. There was even a detour into pastel painting (I'll be back to that one for sure after the holiday season!).

Along the way there have been an amazing group of people who have become regular customers. To think that they like the results of my tinkering enough to request custom pieces is so affirming. There have been stained glass windows for a restaurant and several homes, jewelry for several bridal parties, a couple mother-of-the-brides, proms, and Christmas gifts. Even a retail store joined in the fray and regularly bought jewelry to display. My paintings made it into a couple shows this summer, even winning an award at an international exhibit in Tacoma, Washington. A gallery in St. Louis hosted an open house featuring my pastels in September, and I've even sold a couple of them.

So the next chapter has begun, and I've already made my first internet sale. Everything I read says that the Internet is the next venue for art sales. For people in my generation (yes, my birthday was yesterday! I'm now officially in my forties) who phoned a store and then went to look at things in person, this is a little weird. But I started this blog, have a website for my paintings, and now a cyber venue for my jewelry.

It's very enervating, and a lot has happened in 8 years...

...but I'm still waiting for the day when I see my jewelry on a complete stranger.

Thanks to everyone who has supported me in the past, and an advanced thanks to the customers-yet-to-be.

Pastel (and whatever) Guy