More Framable Art

Pretty Peacock

Once in a while I see a design that messes with my mind. I immediately start painting it in my head and sometimes don't sleep until I have the design leaded, so I can start on it the next morning. This Tiffany Peacock is  the foremost example of this artistic compulsion that grips me from time to time. It probably caught your attention, as well, or you wouldn't be reading this comment at the moment. But don't think you can lead it in an hour-- maybe two, if you're really good. There are lots of little feathers to outline. But once you start painting, make sure you have the take out menu handy because your family won't eat for a while. There are at least 30 colors of paint and several hundred areas to be interpreted. It is ONE of the most intricate designs that I've even painted. If you ask, I might show you some of the ones that are even worse--or better, depending on your level of skill. But this is motif is undoubtedly my favorite. This panel is 24"x36" and don't even think about doing it any smaller because the feathers would run together. Bigger is easier, in this particular case.
The amazing thing is that as intricate as the shading is--it doesn't come close to the grace and beauty of Tiffany's original--and he did it all with colored glass, not paint. Amazing!


My First Gallery Glass Love - Framed Art

Seasonal pieces are often not as much subject related, as they are palette appropriate. Here is a wonderful addition to your Framed Art Category and will look lovely framed in your window this Fall and Winter. One thing I really like about it is the waterfall look of the background. Our old friend Crystal Clear is squeezed on in vertical lines with space left in between each one, rather than being squiggled on randomly--making the background so much more interesting.
Now to make this short story much longer. It was 1978 and my four year old daughter, Renee, got a dollhouse for Christmas from Grandma. I had coached her well because I REALLY wanted to build one for us. It had a 2" dormer window in the eve of the roof and I was determined to find some medium that would create a miniature stained glass piece--to SCALE (the magic word in Miniature Land). I went to a hobby store and bought my first glass paint. It was called GREAT GLASS in those days and was solvent based. I chose one of my favorite leaded glass tulip designs and squeezed out the shapes onto a piece of glass, and painted it with the eye droppers. All the time thinking that I wasn't going to be happy with it--at all-- because I was a "glass snob". The next morning, I put the REAL leaded glass piece and the Great Glass piece up in the window --side by side. And guess what?! Ha! You couldn't tell the difference. That was the beginning of a long and ardent love affair between me and glass painting. If I could make a framed art piece in 30 minutes instead of 2 weeks, it was definitely worth my time. Since that day, I have never stopped. This blog will prove it. There is no end to my passion for the art.

Giddy Up Gallery Glass

This is a horse of a different color--at least a different paint than is usually used for equestrian pictures. I had never painted a horse, but my friend's grandaughter found this horse in a coloring book and wanted her grandmother to reproduce it in Gallery Glass so that she could hang it in her bedroom window. Nana called me in a panic for some color suggestions. The trick is to pick the opaque colors rather than transparent ones. The two browns are Cocoa Brown and Light Brown. The hinges are Silver Glitter. Don't be afraid to tackle a motif you haven't tried before. You will learn something new with every subject. It's okay to paint flowers, but try a space station or a lawn tractor, once in a while.





Clowning Around for Kids

Who doesn't love to paint a clown. The colors can be primary, energetic and totally up to the mood of the crafter. I thought this clown was fun because his face is adorable and he is easy to lead. You can do dozens of them for a kid's birthday party in a short period of time. I didn't put an outside circle and clear background around the clown so that the little artists could carry it around easier.
You will find the pattern in the "Project Categories" list under Patterns and Color Keys. Also For your convenience, if you are ready to create this joyful decoration, and would like to order these specific supplies in a kit with the pattern included--ready to lead--check out our exclusive clown kit under the "Project Category" listing. Clown kit is available both leaded and un-leaded.


Birthday Clown

I like this clown because it fits one of my favorite surfaces--the 6"x9" oval. It's affordable and easy to use as an attendance gift at birthday parties. Have them leaded ahead of time and let the children begin painting as soon as they arrive. The colorful clown is a meaningful momento that they will love to hang in their room, long after the party music fades.