Thank you for writing.

We ourselves will soon be painting two figures – Saint Francis and Saint Martha. And we plan to photograph each step we take to paint their faces and hands. We will then publish this guide. I am sure it will be helpful to you and others.

Regarding paint, you can download a free guide to tools and materials from here. Please note that real glass paint is made permanent by firing it in a kiln to a suitably high temperature, which bonds paint and glass together.

Regarding materials, I am sure it is best for you to use the internet to find suppliers in India. There are certainly many in Mumbai, for example.

I hope this helps.

Best wishes,
Stephen

I would like to work with glass. How can we draw faces, eyes, noses etc. in glass? What type of paint is used? Will it fade? And from where can we get the materials such as copper foil and glass in India?

Many thanks.

I hope the BBC interview goes well.

If you do many more of these I’ll put you in contact with my agent!

Very best wishes to you both and all contributors to this blog.

Martin

You’ve certainly identified a difficulty that must eventually be resolved through the design and then the painting and making of the stained glass window: the parking lot is indeed apparent.

So 10 out of 10 for spotting this from Oregon.

For our own part, at the time of preparing the initial sketches for the client, R.C., we simply assumed (due to building regulations and the consequent legal imperative to limit wasted energy) that our stained glass window would be double-glazed against industrial glass of some kind.

The initial sketches – see Part 2 – were simply a means of continuing our discussions with R.C. and of gaining a closer understanding of the kind of window that he wanted to commission and donate.

Jumping ahead (to a point not yet reached by the narrative), we now know that the stained glass window will in fact be double-glazed against pre-textured glass whose joint-purpose is to insulate and also to obscure the sight of the parking lot.

This complicates the design and the painting, but it’s all part of the highly specific adventure of every individual stained glass project.

That is, lighting considerations are crucial: thank you so much for introducing this vital element into our narrative.

Second, I wish you all a wonderful NEW YEAR from the USA – in fact from Oregon in particular.

Third, back to this intriguing problem-solving mystery …

If the architect failed to consult with a glass maker in the initial stages of the building design, then it could be that the location of these windows were poorly placed for the beauty of painted glass to be taken advantage of.

Depending on the design and the type of glass desired for that design, the outside environment could be a problem and perhaps a distraction from the windows.

If I understand the architects drawing then the parking lot would be facing the windows. If the window design is intended for translucent painted glass there would be a lot of movement and changing colors in the background that could distract from the windows.

A solution for this problem would be the use of opal glass because the outside environment would have little affect when viewing from the inside and could enhance the look from the outside.

Thanks for the opportunity to puzzle this commission.

Marlena Nielsen
Troutdale Oregon

Often people write to thank us for making time to pass on ideas and answer questions. Equally often, we write back and say that it’s our privilege, because we, too, also learn so much.

And here you are, from Norfolk, England, adding something so important to the energies with which we shall complete the design: thank you!

P.S.
For anyone arriving later, the reference to the owl is elucidated in Part 2 of the Hereford Saga.

Others believe it is the totem of mystics and clairvoyants.

Along the Northwest Coast of the United States, the owl is believed to hold strong supernatural powers. It is associated with wisdom, foreknowledge and perception, and is strongly associated with the spirit world. It’s also thought that the owl brings good luck to those born under the earth signs.

We will indeed reveal the size, along with many other requirements for the new design.

I wondered about the size of this stained glass window: will you tell us?

I know how long it can take to prepare a project: last year it took me one month to design a window for my daughter … And then she went and changed everything!

I take this opportunity to wish you happy holidays. I also hope we all will have a good year full of mystery and revelations – and also many opportunities to show our imagination, ideas, new concepts and innovations.

Cheers! I am looking forward to reading more about the story of your design.

Adela (Guatemala)