Monica’s brother and his wife, Frank and Pauline Taylor, who live in Shediac, commissioned a panel for their kitchen window. Mon and I visited their home in late spring to see the window and discuss ideas. The window is gorgeous and huge, at least five feet wide and overlooks their very well manicured back yard. It called for something catchy to draw the eye but not too large which might otherwise obstruct the view.
Pauline envisioned a red bird and yellow flowers. Together we browsed the internet for inspiration and in no time, had the concept… a single male cardinal sitting on a yellow flowering shrub branch… all set in clear transparent glass so the bird and branches blend in with the view of the backyard.
In the studio, I drew the pattern and sized it to 17″x19″ with a rounded top to match the contour of the window grid. The completed pattern has 205 pieces in five main colors; red, yellow, green, brown and clear with touches of orange and gray.
This was a delightful project with lots of fine grinding and tight foiling. It took around 50 hours including the framing and polishing. I really like how the small details in the pattern bring the glass to life. I can almost hear the cardinal singing.
nellyglass studio 