Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Stained Glass Pieces Made in 2007

Adapted United Church Cross Logo - Dec 14, 2007



The cross on the right was made in 1999 for our minister, Tom Sherwood when he left Orleans United Church in Ottawa, and was done using the actual logo colours.

The new orange cross on the left is the second United Church Logo that I have adapted. It was made for my friend Ruth to give her son Robb, who is currently a missionary in Africa. I prefer to work with very translucent glass and it is difficult to find background glass that has variegated colours. The streaks in the background piece to the left are reflected in the vibrant colours chosen for the cross.


It was wonderful fun making this lovely pattern from Chantal's free patterns and choosing complimentary colours and textures. Alas the first piece I made for Inez was 1/8 inch too wide for the window opening. It is almost impossible to change the dimensions on a completed piece of glass.Then a solution appeared since we were going to Edmonton to spend Christmas with my niece Karina who was having a new house made. Karina loves stained glass flowers so I took the original piece as a gift for their new house. During the remake of this piece I was able to incorporate all the "wish I had done certain things differently" changes an artist always feels at the end of each project. Both were beautiful. In this piece the pinks dance in vibrant colour around the turquoise English muffled circle and the sparkling irridescent background glass.



Asiatic Lily - December 14, 2007


Elegant Bevelled Cardinal - October 21, 2007



This Cardinal came from a free Chantal Pattern. I enlarged the bird and extended the tail and added a bevel border for a more elegant look. It is pretty impossible to do spruce branches in glass so I used green plastic electricians wire for the needles and peeled off each end of the plastic to solder the needles into the seams. The background is a unique fractures and streamers glass that adds a forest like background to the ephusion of red. This mixed media piece was a surprise present for my friend Joanne for her 6Oth birthday and I had great fun making it.
Posted by at 1 comment:

Stained Glass Artist at Large

Hooked On Glass




















One of my greatest joys is helping clients realize their stained glass dreams.

Browse to view some of my Stained Glass pieces online.
This Flickr site has a complete collection of my works - over 800 photos arranged thematically.

More recent projects and descriptions can be viewed in the following blogs:


 
 
 
 

Nanci's Stained Glass Story - Hooked on Glass

I have always loved the play of light in the world around me. Nothing captures my imagination like the dancing rainbows produced by the myriad of crystal prisms that adorn my windows. Perhaps it was Pollyanna and "the glad game" or maybe it was my aunt Glenora who gave me my first cut glass piece. When my children were little one of our favourite games was winding up the music boxes and then twirling all the prisms in our kitchen window. Our smiles would then light up the room.

So it is not surprising that in 1982 just after my third child was born, I happened to take a stained glass night school interest course in Tweed. It was just one of those cathartic moments. I had always loved stained glass windows and sun catchers and suddenly there was a course in our local school and I really needed a night out. Since the course was only 10 weeks I pushed our teacher to the limits by pressing her for help in replicating all the flat pieces I already had in my house as well as learning how to do three dimensional boxes and flower pots. I managed to find a lady who would let me use her facilities during the week, so could bring in lots of projects for the teacher's inspection and advice.

This course changed my life forever. The seeds had been planted and a stained glass artist was born!!!! Somehow my creative instincts took flight and I discovered the joys of working in glass. I would like to thank my mother for giving me the gift of working with my hands. I began knitting when I was 5 years old and grew up using my hands to create. The hand eye co-ordination that came from this upbringing enabled me to develop the mechanical skills needed to produce quality stained glass pieces.

Once I started doing glass I needed money to pay for supplies so I took figure skating pieces into the arena where my kids were having lessons and hung them up for sale. Pretty soon I had my picture windows full of sun catchers and a list of orders up on the bulletin board. Then I found stores to take my work on consigment and started taking out booths at art shows. At one point I considered buying a stained glass business in Belleville.

Now 25 years later, my passion for glass is alive and well. It has given me a raison d'etre and an amazing feeling of joy when I see the pleasure my pieces bring to my clients. Every piece has a "personal" story to tell. I did a piece for Dr Roberta Bondar, first Canadian woman astronaut, one for our 24th Lieutenant Govetnor Lincoln Alexander, one for a private eye firm in Toronto, one for a law firm, one for a woman who was dying in her daughters home as a gift from her to thank her daughter after she was gone. Recently I completed a seven window project depicting Canadian scenes. Check out The Hiller Collection. It is no wonder that I call my business Hooked on Glass. The projects never end and the ideas are constantly brewing in my subconscious. 



One of the not so great "joys of glass" is moving studios!!! I have had that pleasure 5 different times in the past 25 years, most recently moving from Brockville to Elmira. During the past year my husband built me a funky studio in a big room over our garage. It is wonderful to have such a bright cheery place to work. In April 2008 my daughter Amber and husband Arthur made me some wonderful stained glass shelves to store the glass on and I am ecstatic - no more slicing fingers, can easily find and access the glass when choosing for projects. Don't know how I lived without this for the past 25 years. The wood cost almost $500 and they created four units for easier moving etc. It is amazng how heavy they are. I am very grateful.

My brother Kevin who lives near Boston, has written a nice article about my work.

I can be contacted at nanci.phelan@gmail.com if you want to get glassed!!!!

Posted by at 1 comment:

Monday, February 4, 2008

An Unexpected Goodbye to My Brother Johnny....

click here for Full Size image
An early morning phone call on Feb 2, 2008 awoke me to the sudden passing of my brother Johnny just a few days after he finally agreed to go to the hospital. With his head cradled in Lorraine’s lap he was comforted throughout the long dark night. I am grateful that his suffering is over, that he did not die alone, that he kept his wit and sense of humour to the end and that his death came quickly, much to the surprise of the Doctors and everyone who loved him.

I am deeply saddened by my final loss of him, though I have been saddened even more by the reflection that he was lost to me most of my life, and in the end I was denied the opportunity to say goodbye and tell him how much he was loved. We had no idea that his cancer had returned. As early as two weeks ago he assured me that he was feeling fine, keeping his weight up and enjoying reading and looking forward to coming to Ontario in the summertime…… when in reality he was in bed in great pain and totally exhausted all the time. In the end he was not able to keep food down for two weeks, and refused to seek medical help or let his family know that he was in this state. I am trying to figure out the reasons for this but whatever they are, it is a great tragedy and I am left with many conflicting emotions.

I am touched by the words of Mother Theresa in her summation of what Life is.

LIFE ISclick here for Full Size image

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

There is more wisdom here than meets the eye. I like to think that Johnny was able to experience this great diversity of life as he passed through the many seasons. I know he saw much beauty in nature and animals and was able to see the funny side of life. He dealt with more sorrow than most and was an honourable man who would stop the car to let a caterpillar cross the road. He was so brave in his time of trial. Johnny leaves behind a wonderful daughter, Karina, who is caring, loving, thoughtful and kind beyond measure.

Since our family is so small and live in different parts of the country, there will be no service or burial until later in the year. My brother Kevin was able to have his own celebration of Johnny’s life around a bonfire on Saturday. I had a rye and ginger ale and a winter sauna in memory of our fun times at Pigeon Lake. He loved grandfather clocks so I turned ours on to chime and offered prayers and lit a candle at church on Sunday. Memories and old tapes play through my mind, over and over as is wont when someone we love dies.

When we heard that Johnny had been hospitalized Kevin and I wrote the following blog articles:

He's My Brother — John William Hickey
http://kevinpammett.blogspot.com/2008/01/hes-my-brother-john-william-hickey.html

Insurer’s have quite a thing going
http://nanciphelan.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.html

After Johnny died Kevin wrote two other lovely blog articles:

Farewell to My Brother "Johnny" — July 1941 - Feb 2008 http://kevinpammett.blogspot.com/2008/02/farewell-to-my-brother-johnny-july-1941.html

The Morning After — Johnny's Spirit Lives On http://kevinpammett.blogspot.com/2008/02/morning-after-johnnys-spirit-lives-on.html

Kevin also made the following wonderful slideshow

http://kevinpammett.blogspot.com/2008/02/treasured-memories-of-uncle-johnny.html

I have made a photo collage to pay tribute to my brother, as he was in various seasons of his life. The naked reality of someone no longer in our lives takes time to heal. The ache will lessen but the hole will always remain. When he found out his diagnosis on Tuesday, he said to Lorraine that he would be seeing his Mom and Gaye again soon…… I pray for the graceful realization of this hope.

I have found great solace in the following Libera songs. Their voices are pure and heavenly as they echo what is in our hearts and touch the divine.

Far Away (click link to hear Libera song on You Tube)

Whereever I go
Far away and anywhere

Time after time you always shine
through dark of night calling after me

And wherever I climb
Far away and anywhere

You raise me high beyond the sky
through stormy night lifting me above

Venite Spiritu et emitte caelittus
Venite Spiritu et emitte caelittus
Venite Spiritu Venite Spiri tus

Whenever I cry
Far away and anywhere

You hear me call when shadows fall
your light of hope showing me the way.

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep (click link to hear Libera song on You Tube)

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there. I do not sleep.

By Mary Frye

Posted by at 1 comment:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)