Venust Victorian

Friend and former NBCC colleague, Karla Baxter, commissioned a surprise birthday gift for her partner, Kevin Carpenter. This happened at the same time that Kevin had me creating a glass surprise for Karla (see Gothic Glories). Secrecy was paramount and playing dumb was my strategy.

For her display spot, Karla chose a 28″ x 10″ transom window over the inner entrance door of their house. I’ve made pieces for Karla and Kevin before, so was already familiar with their tastes. For example, all previous commissions have included the colors green and purple and two K’s. Karla gave me complete artistic freedom to create something that would compliment the other stained glass pieces in their house. The approved pattern style is Victorian with the familiar 2-ks insignia in the center.

One would think selecting green and purple glass should be easy. First, there are the various shades of each to sort through. I decided to go with magenta and mint. Then comes the self-doubt, second guessing and flopping back and forth. Finally, I went with magenta and mint and a clear glue chip backround (looks frosty). All the glass used was cathedral (translucent) to allow maximun light into the hallway.

I had a wonderful time creating this panel. Partly because of the art and the craft but also because this was the first time out of six commissions that Karla surprised Kevin (previously always the other way around). I chuckled to myself all the way through (clever Karla!).