I also found myself lingering a little longer at the craft booths with stained glass mesmerized by the way the light comes through the colored glass and the unique decorative patterns.
My favorite stained glass windows have symbols about a well known fairy tale or biblical story. I look for the hidden clues in the stained glass pictures that tell the story from the perspective of the glass artist.
When I learned that Gail Anastasio, a stained glass artist would be teaching a beginners workshop making stained glass garden stepping stones at our church; I signed up right away!
This was a wonderful opportunity to learn something creative with others in our church congregation and I could see it working well as a Family Fun Day project with Teens or a club activity.
It was another opportunity for me to learn how to work with a new creative medium.
I brought along some Glass Eyes from GlassEyesOnLine.com to incorporate in my piece and share with our instructor and fellow students.
For 3 years, Gail learned how to work with stained glass under the direction of Bill Laws, a Master in Glass. He taught her the art and science of reconstruction and restoration of stained glass church windows.
Anastasio's Stained Glass Studio
If you've been thinking about trying a new creative medium or planning one for your group or club; there are kits available in craft shops and Online for making garden stepping stones or you can gather up the supplies and use Gail's step by step process below.
stained_glass_garden_stepping_stone.pdf |
I enjoyed the beginners class and it also was an opportunity to experience some of the unique challenges sculptors and carvers have when they are working with glass eyes in concrete medium.