Here is a unique stained glass panel of the character Link from the Legend of Zelda video game. Link’s right arm swirled back to throw the boomerang is very Celtic. Nice glass choices by the stained glass artist, Lynda MacRae
clipped from www.flickr.com
I love these stained glass versions of a d20 (20-sided dice) used by gamers for table top role playing games. This gives me yet another project to add to my list.
I have made little sea shell and sand pyramids (will post photo soon,) but now I want to try making d20s or some other size of die. At least I won’t have to worry about filling it with sand and shells before I finish soldering.
Looks like the numbers on the three dimensional dice are made from solder on copper foil overlays. Maybe the numbers could be painted on?
clipped from purplepawn.com
The popular board game podcast, The Spiel, featured a unique piece of art in this week’s episode: stained glass D20’s (20 sided dice). While only tangentially related to gaming (as they definitely can’t be rolled more than once), these items are so gorgeous that they deserve further mention.
I’ve had a couple of requests for help in reducing or enlarging the stained glass patterns available on this site, so I offer this post. I originally wrote this as a comment in response to a posted question. Obviously I don’t know all of the programs that are in use out there, but I hope this helps answer any questions. -Gwen
The manner of enlarging print size depends upon the program you are using to view and print.
If you are using the Glass Eye 2000 go to Modify – Resize All – and make sure the “Maintain Proportions” box is selected and set either the height (or width) you want. The Glass Eye software will automatically set the proper width (or height) to maintain the proportions. This allows you to set the exact size.
If you have Microsoft Publisher you can import the .jpg (or just copy and paste it) into a blank page and change the size by selecting the picture and enlarging or reducing from the corners. This maintains the proportions. I’m not that familiar with Publisher, so I don’t know how to set the exact size here.
You can probably do the same thing with Adobe Acrobat if you have their Professional version or a version that allows you to create .pdf documents.
If you have Microsoft Word you can place the .jpg in a blank Word document. Save the .jpg to your computer, then go to Insert – Picture – From file- and find the saved .jpg and insert it (or copy and paste it.) Then double click the picture and bring up the Format Picture box. Go to the tab marked “Size” and make sure the “Lock Aspect Ratio” and “Relative to Original Picture Size” boxes are selected, then reset either the Height or Width and click OK. Word will automatically maintain the correct proportions. This allows you to set the exact size.
You could print out the picture and take it to a photocopy store and ask them to blow it up or reduce it for you to the exact size you want, but that should not be necessary if you have one of the above programs.
Here is a stained glass pattern of handsome bodybuilder Stan McQuay.
I suggest that you paint the pupils black. You can also use paint or foil overlays for the nostril openings, the eyebrows, and eyes, rather than cutting small pieces.
Glass suggestions are with the pattern.
The Bodybuilder stained glass pattern is available in a black & white jpg, color jpg, and in the Glass Eye 2000 format.
Here is a stained glass pattern of a beautiful lady soaking up the summer sun.
I used a picture of a woman reclining as the basis for this pattern. The original picture showed her leaning back with her hand on the ground. Her hair was not as long as I made it.
One of the reasons I lengthened her hair, (aside from liking longer hair,) was that I was just not satisfied with the way her hand looked when I made the pattern. I did not want to make too many small pieces in order to make her hand; her hand was not the focus of this pattern, and I thought too much detail there might detract from the design. It would also be more difficult to make. So, I used her hair to cover up her hand.
I like the sense of golden summer sunshine in this piece. I hope you like it, too. If you make this piece, or any of my patterns, please send me a photo, and I will post it here and on my Flickr page.
The Sunbather stained glass pattern is available in a color jpg, a black & white jpg, and the GlassEye 2000 format.
I came across a blog entry on Hewn & Hammered that led me to a very interesting article by the U.S. National Park Service about historic stained glass: specifically stained glass in old homes and how to date it, photograph it, clean, preserve, and repair it. The article is titled Preservation Brief 33: Historic Stained Glass.
I had no idea that this sort of information was available from the National Park Service. The article, written in 1993 by Neal A. Vogel and Rolf Achilles, is absolutely fascinating.
I was most interested to read the details about the history of stained glass in America, which is necessary to know in order to properly date historic stained glass. I also learned intriguing facts about the composition of lead came and the reasons that it has changed several times from medieval times to modern times.
This is an excellent essay containing a great deal of technical information, yet written in a clear and engaging style. I will be adding this site to my History of Stained Glass page.
Recently I have been looking for a rose window frame to make a rose window.
There used to be a company in Oregon called the Rose Window Company that made sets of various styles of rose window frames for artists and hobbyists to use to make rose windows. I have been trying to locate therm with no success. I guess they have gone out of business.
While searching for information on the Rose Window Company I came across Mezalick Design Studio. They have an interesting article with great photos about a restoration they performed on a Tiffany Rose Window in a church in Germantown in Philadelphia, PA.
They also have a very detailed and interesting article on the history of stained glass. I have added a link to this article on our History and Museums page.
Oh, and if anyone has any information on the whereabouts or status of the Rose Window Company, or if you know of any other company that sells rose window frames, please leave me a comment. Thanks- Gwen
O, my love’s like a red, red rose,
That’s newly sprung in June
— Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
~
The rose is a traditional favorite in the garden and has also become a favorite subject for works of art, and stained glass is no exception.
There are 100 to 150 species of rose, with thousands of hybrids and cultivars.
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States. It is the state flower of four US states: Iowa, North Dakota, Georgia, and New York. Portland, Oregon is known as the “City of Roses” and holds an annual Rose Festival. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire (white rose) and Lancashire (red rose) in England, and of Alberta in Canada.
In recognition of the favorite flower for the month of June here is a rose stained glass pattern, displayed in shades of red. It is available in black & white jpg, color jpg, and Glass Eye 2000 format. Consider purchasing an oak frame, then size the pattern to fit the frame. This will add a professional and beautifully finished look to your work of art.
Roses are also the basis of design for the Gothic rose window. For a beautiful example of a rose window see the photos accompanying my May 27, 2007 post on the Cathedral of St. John, in Spokane, WA.
Here is an interesting article on stained glass. You can find additional articles on the art of stained glass and links to articles and sites about the history of stained glass and stained glass museums here on our website. -Gwen
Stained glass reached the state of the art in the early 11th century. Many gothic structures used such windows and even today they impose themselves with their beauty and their ingenuity.
In those times men set up a glass factory wherever nature allowed one to be built, namely near a silica deposit. Silica is the main and most important ingredient in glass making.
To obtain colored panes, people used the help of chemistry. While still liquid, an amount of metallic oxide was mixed in the melting pot. This gave the material its color. Man knew colored glass from ancient times and so the Romans, the Egyptians and the Greeks were renowned glass artisans.
During the 5th and 6th century, the technique we know today as stained glass began to show its face. Early creations can be admired today in museums. At first, they combined thin pieces of alabaster inside a wooden frame; this gave a similar effect. Later on, Asian manufacturers used pieces of colored glass to create what we know today as stained glass.
For more detail, artists use painting techniques that enhance the overall design and complete difficult to fill areas.
One interesting thing about these marvelous windows is that the only role they play is to douse the light and to make it difficult to see what happens inside the structure. The themes used in these masterpieces are religious (inspired from bible), symbolic, or inspired from literature and myths. Some of them display scenes from the life of Jesus Christ and other religious figures. These are present everywhere on the windows of medieval churches.
Creating state of the art stained glass panes involves a lot of artistic genius and a lot of experience. Artistic skill and engineering skill are a must for designing the theme and the structure of such an artwork.
Nowadays, in the 21st century, this technique is used in combination with modern forms of art. A revival of the gothic style took place after WWII. Many monuments lost their windows during the war. Great German artists like Ervin Bossanyi, Ludwig Schaffrath, Johannes Shreiter, and Douglas Strachan took the matter in their own hands and struggled to make and old art form a contemporary one.
Nowadays there are not many places where to study the traditional ways of stained glass making. Despite this fact, stained glass is frequently used for home accessories and interior design elements. Whether if it’s a lamp or a window, a piece of stained glass will always add a finishing touch to your home.
Keith Londrie II is the Webmaster of Stained-glass-info.info, a website that specializes in providing information on stained Glass that you can research on the internet. (This site no longer exists, hence we’ve removed the link. )
There is an absolutely beautiful [tag]cathedral in Spokane, WA[/tag], the [tag]Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist[/tag], that has some gorgeous [tag]stained glass windows[/tag]. If you are lucky enough to live nearby, or if you travel to Spokane this is one spot you should not miss. You can take a guided tour of the cathedral. I took the tour this week and I greatly enjoyed it.
There are numerous stained glass windows, many huge windows (over 24 feet tall) many smaller stained glass windows, and a beautiful mosaic inside the cathedral. The stained glass [tag]rose window[/tag] in the west is superb. It is a classic high gothic design.
The cathedral itself is a splendid example of [tag]gothic architecture[/tag]. I took some pictures of the Cathedral of St. John inside and out and you can view a few of them here.
On the St. John’s Cathedral website they have an article about stained glass in general and about the St. John’s Cathedral stained glass windows in particular. They describe the windows in detail.
Their website also has a pictorial display/slide show illustrating how the new cathedral stained glass windows were built. It is fascinating to see all of the steps involved with this project and is well worth viewing. To view it visit their Online Resources page and click on the link: See how the New Cathedral Stained Glass Windows are built!
Enjoy these beautiful windows!
