Working With Glass and Steel

Hmmmmm. I planned on posting some photos and when I searched "working with steel and glass art" I kept coming up with the same artist, Christopher Wilmarth. Pages and pages of links to his site would show up. He has beautiful work, but it is not at all what I have going on in my head.

My current enrollment in a welding class has me so excited. Right now, I have not created anything all that exciting, but I have been able to successfully cut through 1/4" steel without a lot of slag and leaving nice clean lines. I have successfully welded many different kinds of welding joints with my acetylene torch. I know I have to get through the process of knowing how to use my equipment, then I can really move forward with new ideas.

I find that glass is never boring because there are so many different aspects to it. I can fuse, slump, cut, glue, solder, paint, twist it and so on. Knowing how to properly weld just opens up that many more doors for me.

Know of any artists you would like to share who work with glass and steel?

Pat Deere


Link: Christopher Wilmarth

Michigan Stained Glass Census - Window Of The Month

Some wonderful, traditional, stained glass church windows are highlighted this month at the Michigan Stained Glass Census.

First Congregational United Church of Christ, Kalamazoo, MI is featured for September/October 2009. Lots of detailed information can be found on the link below.

The first couple of paragraphs describe the stained glass this way:

First Congregational United Church of Christ of Kalamazoo was organized as a Presbyterian church by fourteen Michigan pioneers in 1835, two years before the territory became a state. In 1842 the church changed to a Congregational form of government and in 1961 it affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Its fourth home, designed in an English Gothic style by New York architect Aymar Embury II, was completed in 1928 to replace an earlier1890 church building destroyed by fire in 1925.
The stained glass windows of the church were created by three studios during different eras. The earliest windows were made in the late 1920s by the A. L. Brink Studio of New York City; one window in the sanctuary south wall was designed in the 1930s by Nicola D’Ascenzo and fabricated by the D’Ascenzo Studio of Philadelphia; and the chapel windows were made during 1959, 1960 and 1972 by the Willet Stained Glass Studios of Philadelphia.

For more information, click on the link below.

Pat Deere

Link: Michigan Stained Glass Census September/October Window of the Month 2009

Creativity - Now and at 80

I met an 80 year old man that sat and talked to me for 30 minutes. What a creative person. He is the kind of person I want to be when I grow up. He showed me portraits he has painted since he started painting 3 years ago, he is making a hydrogen contraption of some kind to power his car because gas prices are so high, he got in a car accident (is now using a walker) and is planning out how to make his crashed car fly, he has made his own instruments. What fun. When his grand kids come over they always ask, "What are we doing today Grandpa?". He is an inspiration to them and is a true inspiration to me. And, he is enjoying the whole process.

What a great week-end. I met this man at the Clinton Fall Festival where I had a booth. This is a small town festival that has been going on for 30 something years. I put my booth in the lost and fine arts area where I demonstrate making stained glass, sell my work, and get the opportunity to talk to people like this man.

When people say they are not creative I just don't often agree. Creative doesn't mean you have to make stained glass like a pro, paint portraits like the masters, or be a creative writer. I think it means being like this man. Somebody who is willing to try something different and enjoying the process regardless of how it turns out. If it doesn't turn out the way you plan, you turn it into something different. Sometimes it is wonderful and sometimes it needs to be scrapped. But, not pushing it to the next level because you fear it might not be perfect... to me is a lack of creativity. And that can be overcome by pushing through whatever problems or insecurities might be getting in the way.

This is where I like to be and where I am on a good day!

Pat Deere

Fall Newsletter 2009

My Fall Newsletter is published! To get it sent to you via email, send me an email and ask me to put you on my email list. It has active links to a lot of informative sites and pages. This will get you to a copy of my newsletter on my web site. Let me know what you think!

My quarterly Newsletter has finally arrived. Articles you should find helpful:
~Save 40% Off In Stock Glass
~Stained Glass Census - Window of the Month
~Lenawee Medical Facility Window Installation
~Protective Glass Information
~How It's Made
~Upcoming Events
~Great Gift Ideas
~Kitchen Cabinet Inserts
~The Log Furniture Division has finally arrived!

Newsletter link: http://www.picturesinglass.net/page/394502209

Pat Deere

Last October

It is fun when I can do glass and not paperwork in my studio. THAT, is a good day. This is my latest crushed glass piece getting ready for firing. I call this one Last October because it was inspired by a trip I took with my husband to Northern Michigan for our anniversary and a look at the color display. I must have taken 500 pictures. This was taken somewhere along the way. Possibly around the Boyne area. When we went, the color was the best there.

I have been playing with crushed glass, using System 96, mostly transparent pieces. This is actually only about 2/3-3/4 done with the layering process. I find that if I take photos in the flash mode as I am layering the glass, I get a better idea of what it will look like when it comes out of the kiln. I try to layer it about 1/2" thick so it is not brittle.

This is the time of the year to be in Northern Michigan if you plan a color tour. We are going again in October - I hope. We are planning on being in the Upper Peninsula but the color will probably be better at that time in upper lower Michigan.


I am hoping to have this piece out of the kiln and incorporated into a stained glass panel so I can take it to Art-A-Licious in Adrian tomorrow. While it is firing, I'll be working on a fireplace screen, a display for my nightlights and fused glass bowls, etc. etc. etc.

Hope to see you there!

Pat Deere

Shows, Tents, Weather...

I am excited to try my new tent for my upcoming shows. In the past I used a frame made of wrought iron rails that was beautiful, but it weighed a ton. In my search for something more user friendly, I ran into some artists who had tents made by Flourish Company. I have a link to their web site attached.

First I purchased the interior walls that allow me to hang things right on the mesh wall - without damaging the wall. The tent goes up with push button ease - no more bolts and wing nuts for me.

The top is vented - yes! And has the versatility to open one side, all sides, or close sections of the front in case of bad weather - which we have all experienced if doing outdoor shows.

And....... they have great customer service! Any time I call, a PERSON answers the phone. That person is ALWAYS FRIENDLY, and very KNOWLEDGEABLE. If they put me on hold for a MINUTE they really mean a MINUTE. And, they get the tents to you quickly. I strongly recommend these guys if you are in the market.

Pat Deere


Upcoming Shows: Art-A-Licious http://www.artalicious.org/

The Clinton Fall Festival http://www.clintonfallfestival.com/

Free Spirit Art Fair, Orchard Lake

Night Light & Slumped Bowl Sets

Just a few of my new Nightlight/Slumped Bowl Sets. These have been a lot of fun. The nightlights are made with either the best section of a piece of stained glass, utilizing the fun natural edges where possible (as seen in the top of the brown nightlight), or fusing crushed glass (as seen in the red nightlight).

The bowls have been created with another section of the same glass cut to various sizes and heated in the kiln to the temperature needed to get the shapes I want. All nightlights and bowls will be slightly different than the ones you see here, making each set unique. I will be putting these on my web site soon. They will be priced at $15 for the nightlights, and $15 for the matching bowls, or the set will be sold for $25.00 and includes a gift bag and note card.



I use these bowls wherever I place them to hold jewelry, candy, change, etc. It looks much better in a glass bowl than it does sitting on a counter.These make wonderful gifts whether purchased separately or as a set.

I will have a variety of these at the upcoming Art-A-Licious event in Adrian this week-end.

Pat Deere

Portraits In Michigan - Hillsdale College

I'm heading out to Hillsdale College today to see the exhibit, Portraits In Michigan. I am so excited because my current portrait instructor, Bud Gale, is included in the show. It runs September 12-October 3 at the Sage Center for the Arts in the Daughtrey Gallery.

The flier here was revised a little - the portrait in the upper right corner is Buds, showing one of the portraits he has included in the show.

I have learned so much from him in a short period of time. Hope some of you will have time to make it to the opening reception today from 2-5pm or stop by any time through October 3.

I am anxious to start a portrait of my sons girlfriend, Meaghan, using the crushed glass technique I have been experimenting with and Bud's technique he calls the "extended squint method". I'll keep you posted.

Link: Hillsdale College http://www.hillsdaleart.org/

Pat Deere

Installation for Gayle

My recent installation for a customer in Ypsilanti...

Gayle had seen some work I had done for a friend of hers and was anxious to have some glasswork installed into the kitchen cabinets that were recently made.

The cabinet shown here is the first one you see when you walk into the room. It was made with bevels and clear textured glass. The top section used a clear antique glass that is very lightly textured to show off some of her nicer pieces, the middle had a clear Pilkington glass that was highly textured to help mute the books behind it, and the bottom glass was clear Waterglass that showcased a collection of wine.

The two cabinets shown here were on the opposite wall and compliment the cabinets in the first photo.

Stained glass can be as intricate, or as simple as you would like it to be. Because there were so many other design elements in her kitchen, the best design for these cabinets was a simple, clean design. It allows the cabinets to be a beautiful compliment to the rest of the kitchen design.

Pat Deere

Historic Homes

I have a customer who contacted me with a request for a simple design that was typical of glass in the period her home was built. She had the door restored by a carpenter who meticulously took the door apart, inserted the leaded glass into the openings, and put the door back together.


Sometimes the appropriate design is not an elaborate, expensive design. But, it does have to fit the era if that is what the customers goal is.

You will often see colored blocks of glass surrounding clear plate glass. Although simple in nature, it truly enhanced their refurbished door and added a lot of color to the entrance of their home.


She was thrilled when the door was finished, the glass was installed, and she could hang her refurbished door back into in her home.

Pat Deere

ARTISTS - Art-A-Licious 2008

Art-A-Licious Art Festival in Downtown Adrian, September 18, 3-8pm and September 19, 10am-8pm is looking for artists. Sponsored by the Lenawee Council for the Visual Arts, half a 10x10' booth, tent and table are provided thru a membership to the LCVA for $35.00. 48 artists displayed in 2008 and we are looking to expand that number this year. The festival also includes artists demonstrations, art for kids, HS art displays, dance, music, lost arts, readings by writers, and food. If you are interested, contact Pi Benio at 264-3901 or pbenio@adrian.edu .