 This very large
stained
glass window, inspired by the stained glass of Frank Lloyd Wright, is
just over 3 feet wide and 7 feet
tall. I generally try to talk clients out of making stained glass
panels this big... it's just so much easier and worry-free when a large
space such as this one can be divided into a number of smaller spaces.
Usually, the design can be made to "flow" from one space to the next in
a way that makes the overall effect appear to be a single design.
In this situation, both the clients and the
architect
doing the extensive remodel of their home wanted this stairwell landing
window to be one large panel of stained glass. Although I suggested
dividing the space into smaller spaces, they were adamant about having
it be one larger space. When faced with clients who are adamantly
opposed to accepting my suggestions, my choices are to either turn down
the project (if I think it's foolhardy to do what they ask) or agree to
do it their way (if it can be done, but is simply
not a choice I would have made).
So... after explaining that large stained
glass panels
are not impossible but they're not my first choice, and outlining the
additional costs involved, they assured me that they still wanted one
large panel and were willing to pay the extra costs of producing,
transporting, and installing such a large artwork. Given that, I
accepted this commission, and did my very best to produce
an artwork that would be beautiful and enduring.
To make this panel strong enough to support
its weight
over time, I used zinc came on the interior of the panel as
well as around the outside edge (around the edge I usually do anyway).
Zinc came is more difficult to cut than lead came, so I own a miter saw
with a special blade for occasions where zinc needs to be cut to
a point. This Frank Lloyd Wright style stained glass design, however,
required mostly 90-degree cuts, and those I
was able to do with my pointed snips.
Once the stained glass was completed,
special care had
to be taken to transport it and install it. As with all well made
stained glass panels, the risks end with the installation. Once the
panel is mounted securely, there should be no other structural
problems. I know that
this
panel was, indeed, structurally sound because I installed this panel
more than five years ago, and I haven't heard from them to say
something is not right. An example of "no news is good news."
|
