catalindomniteanuclass

C I. Copper-foil Class

(12 hours) $195 + taxes (tools and equipment included; materials extra.)
Prerequisites: not required | Take home a "sun-catcher" of approx. size of 100 sqin (~ 8" x 12").

This class introduces you to the basic tools and materials, and guides your first steps into the making of stained-glass via copper-foil method. Emphasis on glass-cutting, grinding, copper-foling, soldering, and framing.
Note: the copperfoil method (Tiffany method) grants the most intricate patterns of all. This innitiation course is not in any manner a "profane" method, though, as it involves more difficult glass cutting and processing (depending on the skills and the ambition of the student), and it demands extensive soldering. Its supleness made it my preffered method, which allowed my art to emerge from traditional stained-glass into sculpture. I believe that it can be mastered by anyone.

C II. Lead Came Class

(12 hours) $195 + taxes (tools and equipment included; materials extra.)
Prerequisites: CI | Take home a stained-glass panel of approx. size of 300 sqin (~ 12" x 24").

In this class you will learn the traditional lead-came method in combination with copper-foil method, and using a mix of plane colored glass and beveled-glass. Emphasis on pattern design, putty filling, patina application, and finishing.
Note: the lead came method is the traditional stained-glass making thechnique used before the Renaissance; it is a must for those passionate about stained-glass history. In many respects it is an easier method, yet it has its challenges. Paradoxically, the technological advancement which made possible copper-foling and beveling glass brought it back in fashion after centuries of oblivion. This course will give you the sense of mastering this millennia-old trade.

C III. Bas-relief Class

(18 hours) $295 + taxes (tools and equipment included; materials extra.)
Prerequisites: CI & CII | Take home a bas-relief panel of approx. size of 400 sqin (~ 12" x 36").

In this class you will further learn how to process glass and integrate non-traditional visual components to your composition. You will learn to give thickness and perspective to your work. Emphasis on play of light (glare, focalization, reflection), kiln forming, and structural integrity.
Note: The appropriate vocabulary for this class includes terms like: bas-relief, sculpture, volumetric, convolute. This is to differentiate it from the term "3D" (three-dimensional) adopted by the industry for a faceting technique, which in principle divides the curvature of the outside surface of a three-dimensional object in many small, flat regions (anything between a triangular pyramid and a Tiffany shade, or a faceted bust). In this class you will be encouraged to expand your artistic creativity towards non-canonical materials and validate your ideas from a structural perspective.

C IV. Custom Projects Assistance

(60-100 hours) $75/h studio time, with my full support.
(Tools and equipment included; design and materials extra.)
Prerequisites: none | Take home your own creation of approx. size of 6-10 sqft.

My studio is open to collaborations on exciting projects. Either if you want to embelish your luxury timber home during the long winter months, or do restauration work on your heritage property, I can help. For those hand-on type that want to leave their mark behind for the generations to come, there are ways we can collaborate.
Note: I have to make a condition, however: the project have to be interesting for me too. Tell me the story of your project, and why it is important for you.

C V. Repairs & Restaurations

(18 hours) $00 + taxes (in preparation)
Prerequisites: CI & CII | The necessary work material can be found at vintage stores.

Stained-glass can age or suffer accidents. Aging translates into several effects that time has on their components. Around the stability of the glass (amorphous structure) the controversy persists that, like an extremely viscous liquid, it would continue to flow, which would bring geometric changes (observable after hundreds of years!). This intuition comes from the fact that the glass of the old stained-glass is thicker at the bottom than at the top. But whether this is a preference of the old artists or a change in the position of the silica molecules over time, the uneven thickness of the glass mesh is an important element that contributes to the instability of the panel. In turn, the lead rod, which forms the resistance structure of stained-glass, loses its flexibility (influenced by the purity of the material and its geometry), and its surface becomes brittle (oxidation, mineralization). Thus, it loses its ability to absorb stresses due to weight, frame deformations, wind pressure, or thermal deformations. Inevitably, the lead rods crack at their junction with the tin knots. The last element that ensures the stability of the panel is also the most fragile - the putty. Its flexibility is limited by the evaporation of its liquid compounds and its elasticity is very short. The different vibrations and coefficient of thermal deformation between glass and lead eventually erode it. All these elements contribute to the instability of the panel which, under the pressure of its own weight, begins to flare like a curtain at the bottom.
Note: The methods used to limit the deformation usually affect the integrity of the stained-glass image. This course presents the techniques of restoring the original structure and the integrative methods of reinforcement (without adding unsightly lines), as well as the methods of replacing broken parts and restoring the network.