Self
June 22, 2025
Self Twenty-five years ago, I collaborated with St. Peter Baptist Church in Glen Allen, Virginia, on the construction of their new sanctuary. Our relationship started with meetings to determine design
This blog chronicles my life in the studio over the last fifty-two years, exploring creativity and self-direction. I’m sharing this because I’m all too aware of the struggle it takes to go out on one’s own and make art one’s life’s work.
My goal is that sharing my experiences will make your journey less complicated and more financially rewarding.
My concern for the future of artists and art drives me. That’s why my blog is free, ad-free, and interactive. It’s a space where we can all learn together.
Sponsored by Cain, Inc. Architectural Art Glass
Table of Contents
(Click a category to organize posts.)
Creativity
June 8, 2025
One of the more interesting aspects of being self-directed is that I often don’t know when to stop. This is a laylight in progress for a home outside of Washington,
Artist/Craftsman
May 29, 2025
Yale University has some of the finest stained glass I have ever seen. Large windows with blown glass in subtle colors masterfully arranged: beautifully painted medallions and prominent figures presented
Commissions
May 22, 2025
Forty years ago, my partner Gerry Powers and I were awarded a commission to create the focal point for the new 6th Street Market Place in downtown Richmond, Virginia. Jerry
Shop
May 17, 2025
It’s about more than the art. I use the same creativity running my business as I do my art. I work intuitively. I don’t have an hourly rate, ask for
Shop
May 7, 2025
At the beginning of my career, I thought that the more processes I developed in my studio, the more financially secure I would be. In many ways, this has proven
Design
April 29, 2025
One of my cutting tables is about four feet from a South-West window. This is the window where I place our glass for color selection. Toward the end of the
Design
April 17, 2025
I created this mural for Mt. Zion First African Baptist Church in Charlottesville, Virginia, around twenty years ago. It is in the pulpit directly behind the minister. My art often
Designing
April 2, 2025
This is a section from twelve kitchen cabinet doors I created around twelve years ago. It is such a joy to work playfully, to move pieces of glass from their
Designing
March 27, 2025
It’s not always easy to find a workspace. I like things out where I can see them. Tools, drawings, glass, works in progress—they all fulfill my need for accessibility. Taking
Commissions
July 6, 2025
I find it interesting the perception a committee or single patron has of me as an artist when we first begin conceptualizing their project. I sense considerable pressure to help
Self
June 14, 2025
Freeing myself from captivity is a recurring theme in my life. I knew by the second grade that not only was I unhappy, but the structure forced upon me would
Creativity
June 1, 2025
There are times I’m not sure what’s going on. Daniel and I worked together on this window. That may be part of the reason—two artists playing chess with an idea,
Self
May 19, 2025
There are times over my career when I would feel quite sad. Not so much now, but there have been times when I thought I would give up on my
Design
May 9, 2025
I created this abstract design with leftover flame-worked pieces from a large project. After working with hundreds of pieces, I became familiar with the shapes and colors and how they
Marketing
May 4, 2025
I have noticed over the years that patrons observe more than my work. There is often an unspoken connection, usually starting when one visits my website. People have told me
Self
April 21, 2025
I have learned over the years that the best investment I can make is investing in myself. Never having much money at any given time, I would use any extra
Design
April 13, 2025
As I grow older, I am more attracted to the subtlety of art and life. This is a study I created many years ago. Like many approaches, I grew weary
Restoration
March 31, 2025
Several years ago, we worked with a couple creating a chapel for the Catholic Diocese on Ocracoke Island, North Carolina. They had purchased a stained-glass window, probably made in the
Shop
March 21, 2025
You may have wondered what the inner workings of a 1915 Henry Lang beveling machine look like. Well, ponder no more. This is the machine we rough-grind our bevels with.
Self
June 15, 2025
Dear Dad, Looking back over my life, I realize how much I learned from you. You are the quietest man I have ever known, certainly the most stoic. You rarely
Commissions
June 4, 2025
Last Sunday, I visited one of the windows I created a couple of years ago. My patron is requesting a companion piece. After completion of almost every window I create,
Design
May 25, 2025
This is one of the glass roses we have developed for the foreground of one of our projects. We are far enough along that we have the basic shape and
Self
May 11, 2025
In my thirties and forties, I knew I was too focused on my art to devote the time needed to have a family. Over the years, a gradual change took
Our Daughter, Emily.
May 11, 2025
Our daughter Emily.The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. “I’m over the moon to share that my piece “Study IV, Southside” was recently accquired by the Virginia Museum of
Design
April 24, 2025
I was drawn to Rembrandt’s paintings the first time I saw them because of their dramatic use of light and shadow. I found it an interesting alternative when other artists
Creativity
April 11, 2025
Remember the movie The Dirty Dozen? There are only six of us, but I often chuckle when, at times, I stop and observe what’s happening around me. The creativity involved
Design
March 25, 2025
Around forty years ago, a friend who had just bought a new home contacted me about creating a window for him. “I want to sit beside this window with one
Design
March 19, 2025
Texture is an integral part of our work. When natural light fades, before artificial light takes over, there is a time when light surrounds and penetrates our flameworking. I think
Shop
March 3, 2025
I prefer to be influential rather than in control of my studio. In my shop, everyone has the power of influence. There are six of us with quite a diversity