Basement Glass

Crane on the Beach

2011-11-30T16:24:00.000-03:30

This is a crane that seemed to sit on my bench for years...over three hundred pieces, framed in zinc and probably the most ambitious piece I had attempted up to this point. It took many hours to complete over a five year period.

Flock of Seagulls

2011-11-30T15:26:00.000-03:30

I love making these little statues. Using a piece of driftwood I put to flight a flock of seagulls. I saw a sculpture of a huge flock of birds on vacation one year and decided that I wanted to do something similar with a flare for Newfoundland...seagulls and driftwood!!!

Shine so bright...

2011-11-30T15:23:00.000-03:30

I have a really good friend that lives in Texas. We met back in 1972 and reunited a few years back. She is a wonderful woman who is a big part of my life...deep in the heart of Texas!

Falling and Flying

2011-11-30T14:39:00.001-03:30

I used to wonder who would want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Well, a friend of mine from Montreal does and he is surprisingly well adjusted. Someday maybe I will get up my nerve to jump out of an airplane but not today. I made this piece for him as a Christmas gift a couple of years back. The yellow glass comes from a church window from Nova Scotia I picked up at an antique store in Portugal Cove Newfoundland. The piece is now in Montreal.

Circles and Stripes

2009-03-02T15:56:00.002-03:30

The daughter of a good friend of mine was moving into a small apartment and I wanted to give her and her boyfriend something unique to hang in their window. I chose to use stripes and circles and the colours I chose were earthy and natural. The brown stripes were a glass I have used on a few other pieces before and the amber tints a dramatic when held to the light.

Using Agates

2009-03-02T15:49:00.002-03:30

Over the years I have purchased and been given many agates and rock slices to use in my art but I haven't really worked many of them in my pieces. This is a piece I did as a house warming gift for two friends that are very artistic. When I was deciding what to do I felt they would appreciate a little free form around an agate. The ribbon design worked really well with the colours I chose for the piece, as well as, the agate itself. From their reaction I think I may have done a good job on it.

It's been a year!

2009-03-02T15:40:00.003-03:30

It has been over a year since I updated my blog and I don't know where the time has gone. I have been temporarily away from home on assignment since last summer but I have still done a lot of work and I still have a lot of past work still to show you. Bear with me over the next few weeks as I try to sort out my pieces and see if I can remember where these pieces eventually ended up. Let's see where do I pick up from? I think I will start with a piece I did for an auction we had at work to raise money at Christmas. It is a variation of a couple of others I did that I really liked. I like the blues in it as it reminds me of the ocean that surrounds my home and lives in my heart. Let me know what you think!

Three Sails

2008-02-12T22:00:00.000-03:30

Three sails against the windswept sky .... racing against the storm .... racing each other .... racing to a new world .... or just sailing home .... I love the sea and I love boats .... I hope you like this abstract representation of three sails in the wind.

Puffins....Puffins...Puffins...

2007-10-21T23:47:00.001-02:30

Most of my studio time over the past few weeks has been spent working on 17 of these little guys. I was asked to do these for a local craft/antique store. I wouldn't normally do so many of the same piece but a contract is a contract. I think I will be starting my website for sales very soon, as soon as I can set up a site I think. Talk to you later on I will hopefully have something new to show you soon.

Mirror mirror....

2007-09-28T12:17:00.000-02:30

I really like working with different types of glass and recently I tried this piece with mirror. I had originally wanted to use one colour of grey in two textures one plain and one with a texture. I decided on the mirror after I laid the pattern down on my cutting table and saw a piece of mirror next to the pattern. The idea looked good to me so I pursued it. Once I had it finished I decided to give it to my neighbour as a birthday gift. She seemed to like it and I hope she finds a place for it in her new home. Please excuse my hands and camera in the picture it is kind of hard to photograph a mirror without it's reflection.

New Parents

2007-09-17T21:50:00.000-02:30

Recently a friend of mine from work and his fiance had their first child. They are proud parents and I wanted to do something very special for them. I came across a line drawing on the internet a few years ago. I thought it may be a pattern for glass but I was unsure. I was really struck by the way the faces of the mother and father overlapped that of the baby's face. I knew it would be something I would have to make. I remembered the drawing when my friends became pregnant and decided that it would be the right thing for me to do for them. I used two of my favourite pieces of glass in this piece. I used gluechip for the background and seedy for the faces and hand. I really like the way this piece turned out and my friends were pleased with it as well. I hope you all like it.

Pets

2007-09-04T18:35:00.000-02:30

For a long period of time I resisted the urge to do stained glass pictures of family pets...I always felt that I would never get the colours right or I would spend a long time doing a piece and have it end up not looking anything like the pet I was portraying. These are my two ventures into this world I was weary of. The oval piece is my Sister-in-Laws dog Abbey. It is a beautiful dog and I hope I did it justice. The other piece is of the late Frisky who belonged to a very close friend of mine and was also a part of my life through him. I think I did capture Frisky as is evident by the fact my friend had this piece framed and it hangs in his living room. I hope you enjoy these pieces.

Republic Pride

2007-08-31T08:15:00.000-02:30

I have been very busy this past month with visitors and work. It seems like I don't get to spend much time in my studio anymore. I will try to rectify this in the coming months as we creep closer to, dare I say it, Christmas! Anyway, to todays piece. This piece is a copy of one I did for my son as a house warming gift. Here in Newfoundland and Labrador there is a strong tie to the "Pink, White and Green" or what is called the republic flag. People with a strong affinity for Newfoundland, it's heritage and history, it's future and well being have started flying the flag again! This flag is often mistaken for a faded Irish Flag but actually predates and inspired the Irish flag. I have enclosed a link for further reading. In any case this piece shows the flag being proudly flown on a background of stormy skys, grassy fields, craggy cliffs and blue green ocean. I hope you all enjoy this piece. Feel free to comment on this or any of my pieces. I am slow to upload but I enjoy the comments I recieve.

Pink, White and Green

2007-07-23T22:54:00.000-02:30

I finished the last piece fairly quickly and it felt like I was starting over again. I was excited to be working with glass again and I felt like I needed to do another piece. I had been toying with doing this one since a friend showed me the plan and said I should do something like this. I am thinking of doing a series of pieces similar to this one. I have always had a fascination with trees in winter. I like the starkness of the leaveless branches and the dark trunks. I hope you like this one and forgive any mistakes you find I am still learning my new trade.

Garage Sale Frame....

2007-07-23T22:43:00.000-02:30

I found this frame a few weeks ago at a garage sale just out of town. There were several different items there but what struck me as neat is the floating frames in the centre. Each frame is laced in using workboot laces and leather laces. It was obviously handmade and very different so I had to grab it. I chose Cala Lillies for the panel so that it would continue the rustic feel with plants but maybe contrast it a bit with such a delicate flower. I like the way it turned outso much I hung it on my own wall. I will continue to look for odd frames and old windows to put panels in. Wish me luck and I hope you like it.

...of Churches and Sailboats...

2007-07-14T13:11:00.000-02:30

Maybe you can recognize the style of this piece, a couple of years ago I did a piece for a couple for their anniversary. I really like the design and I enjoy the way it reminds me of church windows and sailboats. I liked it so much that I borrowed heavily from it when I made this piece for a friend from work and his wife, who have helped me greatly over the years and especially in the last two years after my accident. Thank's Darryl and Denise...I hope you like it!

Eve's Indiscretion

2007-07-01T17:30:00.000-02:30

I have been looking at a drawing of this piece for a long time and I have been waiting for the right time and the right glass to make it.....I love the red glass....and it is water glass which is also one of my favourites....This particular piece was made for my Borther-in-law for his birthday. I was sad to see it go but I will make it again and this time I will be adding a snake in the background at the urging of my friend John...he also came up with the name! Thanks John.

The Big Land

2007-05-24T11:25:00.000-02:30

I was born and raised in Labrador City, NL. Like everyone I have good and bad memories of my hometown, but, I have to say the good memories far outweigh the bad. In fact as most of us do when we grow older we realize that what we at first thought was a pitfall or mark against was really nothing at all. I miss my hometown and all the friends had there. When I first started doing glass my Mom asked me if I could do a Labrador Flag for her to hang in her window. I did and one day she gave it away to another Labradorean and I made another for her. I don't remember how many I have made over the years but it ended up with my Mom without one for her window. I put it off as she said no rush but I did finally do one for her for Christmas it is almost a foot across and can be seen proudly displayed in her front window! I hope you like it. It means a lot to me!

While working away...

2007-04-26T17:27:00.000-02:30

Today I was going through some old files at work when I came across this piece I did for a giveaway at a Breast cancer Awareness retreat a few years ago. I have always been willing to donate my glass to worthy causes and I hope everyone who reads this finds a way to give something to the community around them. I was only just beginning to do stained glass when I was asked by a local painter if I would like to do something for a prize and I would be paid for it. I didn't like the idea of being paid for it so I donated it and it was a sucess. As I was a newbie at the time it is a little rough but it was for a good cause.

Back to Glass

2007-04-05T13:03:00.000-02:30

Hey there! I have been neglecting the purpose of this blog, drifting as it were. I found this picture today as I was cleaning up some files. This is a picture of a piece I did for a silent auction. We were raising money for a good cause and I wanted to do something a little personal for the auction. I didn't have a whole lot of time but I was inspired for this one by my love of bright colours and a little tex-mex feeling as I was excited about going to Mexico on a mini vacation. I hope you like it.

Inuksuk on the beach!

2007-04-03T10:08:00.000-02:30

The word inuksuk means "something which acts for or performs the function of a person."

So I went to Bell Island with my Dad and I really like the views from the beach and I love beach rocks. Whenever I go there I make an inuksuk and leave it on the beach. I leave it as a way of staying on the beach. I have been doing this for the past 6 or 7 years. I have recently began taking pictures of the ones I leave behind. Hope you enjoy!

Matching window pieces.

2007-03-30T11:47:00.000-02:30

These are the pieces I did for my neighbours front window to compliment the transom pieces in the living room. Enjoy.

Spring is coming!

2007-03-30T11:31:00.000-02:30

I haven't posted here in a while. I really have not spent much time working on glass the last few months. I took a vacation in Mexico this month and the colours and views were fantastic. They have inspired me to work on some new pieces. I am taking a little time off work to clean up my studio and start working on a couple of pieces. The local supply store is closing it's doors and I am looking for another supplier. I seriously considered buying the store and spent a bit of time trying to see if I could afford to buy it now that it is for sale. Unfortunately I could not see me making a go of it at this time. I am looking for a new supplier. If anyone reading knows a good one near me, let me know. In the meantime here is a custom piece I did for a neighbour for a house she was renovating. She gave me free reign on design and texture. I hope these pictures do it justice. This is the main three pieces. A picture of the other two will follow.

Snow Day at Night....

2007-02-19T22:53:00.000-03:30

It is very stormy here today, but it is one of those nice storms, if there is any such thing. The flakes were big and it wasn't too cold out there. I really like to drive in weather like this. There are very few people driving and the solitude of being out alone in a storm is very soothing. I was looking for a piece of glass to show everyone but I couldn't decide. So while I was trying to decide I looked at some of the older pieces I did. I really like this piece. I made it for a friend of the family who was very into mermaids. I think it is one of the first pieces I did for someone I wasn't related too. I like the way she is diving for a jewel and the way the water flows around her. I hope you like it.

Something To Catch your Dreams....

2007-02-10T19:43:00.000-03:30

My cousin was renovating his house and converting a garage into a usable family room, complete with wood stove. He did this room in a western motif with a lot of wood. It was beautiful and the wood and the western style worked perfectly. For Christmas I thought I would do a little something for him to fit into this room. I had planned on doing a piece with horses or just one horse and maybe a sun set, but when I saw a picture of this stylized dream catcher I had to do it. It not only feels western with it's dreamcatcher look but it is also in a modern style with sharp geometric shapes that I am really into. The circle near the bottom is a remnant from one of the first pieces of glass I ever bought. It came in a scrap pack I bought when I decided to learn how to do stained glass. Most of the glass is now long gone except for a few small scraps I like to use in special pieces.

Mermaids and Minus Zero Temps

2007-02-07T19:56:00.000-03:30

The temperatures outside this week have been a little on the chilly side. Mostly five to ten degrees below. Not that bad but not really ideal temperatures for a swim in the ocean. I decided that todays picture should be something of fantasty and warmth. What signifies story book legends more than a Mermaid. When I think of mermaids I conjure up images of warm blue water, white sands and long flowing hair. I hope you enjoy this picture I made for a close friend, I really enjoyed making it.

Day of Shovelling

2007-01-30T22:14:00.000-03:30

Tody was another snow day. I spent most of the day shovelling out my driveway. I was cold and I think I got a little chill out there. I am sitting here now trying to warm up and looking for a good piece to show you today. I did this piece for a family member on a cold day last winter. I like the use of the blues in this one. I can't remember where I found this pattern but it reminds me of winter in Labrador, cold and beautiful, certainly a piece that matches this cold day.

Stormy...stormy day!

2007-01-24T10:29:00.000-03:30

Well it is one helluva stormy day here in Newfoundland. The town is pretty much closed for business today. It is snowing heavily and the roads are blocked with drifts. The snow is supposed to give way to ice pellets and then to rain this afternoon as the temperature rises. It is truly a day to stay inside with a good book by the fire. The picture I am including today is from a comic book called Johnny the Homicidal Maniac. While not typical stormy day reading it was done for a family friend who enjoys reading these dark comics.

Warm and Windy Today!

2007-01-20T20:10:00.000-03:30

Well it is above freezing today....but it is raining and very windy. I am cleaning up my studio today. Getting ready to try my hand at some glass on glass mosaic. I will post the project when I get it finished. It will be a bar sign for a friend of mine. I don't have any pictures to post here right now as I am in the basement and I can't get access to my storage drive from here. I will put a picture up later today or tomorrow.

Cold Day!

2007-01-17T23:18:00.000-03:30

It's a bit cold here in St. John's today, but it should warm up by the weekend. So in the spirit of warming up, here is a piece of glass I made for the daughter of a friend of ours who moved into a new house. This is not my design but I loved the warmth of the colour, the simplicity of the design and the picture itself. It was one of my favourite pieces to work on and one of the pieces that was harder to give away.

Inspired by the sea....

2007-01-16T21:26:00.000-03:30

These are three panels that I did for a couple on their anniversary. I really like thses people and wanted to do something for their cabin, which overlooks the ocean. This design is one of my own and is inspired by the sails and signal flags of old time sailing vessels.

...and so it begins...

2007-01-16T21:14:00.000-03:30

I have been working with glass for a number of years as a hobby and for many years I would give it away and forget all about what I had done. I recently began taking pictures of my glass before I gave it away. I don't always remember to do it but I do have a few pictures that I will show here over the next little while. I will try to update the blog whenever I can and hopefully with new pictures for all my family and friends who ask to see what I am working on. I will try to get a few pictures of my studio in case anyone is interested.