Before I had retired my business in ’23, Sister-in-Law, Darlene Gallant Taylor, put in a request for a kitchen window panel. When I met with Darlene early in ’24 to discuss potential designs, she already had one in mind that she found online; an all clear design with three interconnected diamonds down the center. Darlene mused how it reminded her of her three children; Nicholas, Haley and Whitney; all adults now with children of their own.
Sized at 12″ x 26″, there are 54 pieces in the pattern and 30 of them are beveled. The chosen kitchen window in Darlene’s house has a south-western exposure so all those bevels suggest a brilliant show when the sun is shining.
Darlene was willing to engage with me in the early planning stage of choosing the glass for this project. With the concept of her three children as the main theme, I asked Darlene to describe each child with a brief statement about their most defining character traits. Then, I presented her with nine different clear textures and asked her to choose the one that best emulates the character of each child. The results are strikingly accurate. Here is what she chose;
Nicholas, the oldest: funny, wild child, tough exterior but soft and easy flowing inside. Darlene chose a popular texture that suggests fluid motion. This texture is called Taffeta.
Haley, the middle child: structured, strong willed, no pretense. Darlene chose a modern texture that is very orderly. This texture is called Checkerboard.
Whitney, the youngest: busy, compassionate, an old soul. Darlene chose a vintage texture that radiates light. This texture is called Muranese.
For the background glass around the three diamonds, Darlene chose an untextured clear so it wouldn’t compete with the other textures. Surrounding all this is a 2″ wide beveled border that catches light and throws a spectrum.
I love symbolism in art and this piece is full of it. First, the title of the piece is inspired by all the diamonds, both literal (glass) and metaphorical (children). Also, in addition to a different texture of glass to symbolize each child, the overall design is sentimental (like Whitney), the glass selection is variable (like Nicholas) and the beveled border is structured (like Haley). Finally it takes all of these elements together to make the piece work (like family).
Although it was an easy project in terms of complexity and time to complete, I found it deeply satisfying artistically because of the collaboration with Darlene. I like knowing that we shared in the process of creating it. I hope it brings her and her family many years of nostalgic happiness.
May I present; Darlene’s Diamonds.
nellyglass studio 