Posts – Wayne Cain

Sculpture

September 18, 2024

I created this window around twelve years ago for a couple near Boston. The sheer bulk of this tree still amazes me. I feel like I could reach out and climb in its branches When I design trees, flowers, and other vegetation, I like to draw them as if they are at the end of their lives, with all their “scars” from living a full life. From my imitation, this tree lived a life of kids climbing to as close to the top as possible, wildlife eating its bark, and some bending of its branches to show the right

Decisions

September 17, 2024

It seems like all I do is make decisions. This isn’t a complaint; I like to make decisions. My problem is that my mind wants to keep working on them when I’m ready to do something else. This creates a short attention span for me. Most of the people around me know this. They know that if they want me to hear them, they should establish eye contact, or my head should at least turn in their direction. When I was in college over fifty years ago, down in East Texas, how people greeted each other was very similar

Studio

September 16, 2024

Working in a barn has its advantages. They are mainly economic. I could almost live off my overhead when I lived in the city and had to rent space, plus all the associated costs. I liked the lifestyle of colonial and European artisans. They worked out of their homes or worked in outbuildings. Saving time on my commute had enormous appeal to me. What I appreciate the most is that I can leave the current world outside. As an old friend is fond of saying, “I don’t feel the eyes are on me.” Removing judgment is very important when

Marketing

September 16, 2024

Over the years, I have tried marketing my work in many ways, including postcards, emails, cold calls, giving talks at wineries, and just about everything short of standing by the road holding a sign. I have found that my best marketing plan is to invest my time and money into creating the best work I’m capable of. Nothing will spread the word about me and my work better than an elated patron.

Leaves To Pattern

September 16, 2024

To get some idea of how many leaves we’ll need for our project, we’ll place the ones we’ve made onto our full-scale pattern. This also gives us some idea of how the window will look in reflected light. Often, we will attach some of the leaves to a piece of the background glass to see how the colors look in daylight. We also use these opportunities todocument and send it to our patron.

Flameworking

September 15, 2024

This is our flameworking section. This menagerie comprises touches, kilns, glass warmers, inventory, hand tools, and a fire extinguisher. Often, the glass will change color when heated. Our first challenge is to find a glass that will give us subtle color changes within its range. Then, we cut 1/4 to 1/2 inch strips and categorize them into large canning jars. Standing in a workable with all the tools and equipment one needs and a wide range of colors is a satisfying way to spend time.

Iridescence

September 12, 2024

Around 2008, a retired couple in Charlottesville, VA, began collecting some of my work. They lived in a small condo with many art pieces accumulated over the years. After downsizing into their new home, their living space had become quite crowded. One day, they contacted me, wanting to share an idea. We would like to have another one of your windows, but we don’t have another window. As the three of us made our way around their living area, we all spotted a space along a wall that had potential. I had an idea, but I knew I would

Freedom

September 12, 2024

Sitting on the hillside between my junior and senior years in college, I thought about how I wanted to live my life. I knew I wouldn’t fit into the corporate world and would not allow someone else to profit from my development. I believe one should work when the work is there and then take time to enjoy the other things life offers. I had done everything everyone else wanted me to do; now, it was my turn to take control of my life. I wanted a shop, my product, and, most importantly, to be in control. I wanted

Sculpturing

September 11, 2024

I created this window around 2004 for a couple in Virginia Beach, Virginia. They wanted one of my windows for the wife’s bathroom. The window to the right of her bathtub was the perfect place for some of my art. The window looked out into a section of their yard that was just lawn. I took this photograph outside of my shop for my archives. We decided on a Dogwood tree. There are two branches, one from a tree to the left of the window and one from a tree to the right. When I first drew the design

Silhouette

September 11, 2024

Around 1978, the Tobacco Company Restaurant in Richmond, Virginia, was turning its basement into a disco lounge. The owner had a design for the wall behind the dance floor, 40 feet long and 9 feet tall, of a Victorian restaurant and couples dancing. The only reason I can think of for him selecting this design is that he liked to decorate with stained and bevel glass from the period, and he thought it would fit right in. Sometimes, a design may not seem appropriate for the occasion, but it makes the customer feel more “High class” and willing to

Time

September 11, 2024

I created this window for a couple in Columbus, Ohio. Each window we make is unique. To advance my art, I strive to add something special to each project that strengthens our designs and skills. From the beginning, I knew I wanted the lily petals to be the prominent feature in this window. However, I knew I could not make them from one piece of flame-worked glass. After thinking about this for a couple of days as I worked on other projects, I finally realized that I could use our UV adhesive to bond pieces together so they looked

Co-Workers

September 10, 2024

It’s important to me that I like and respect the people I work with. Our small outfit thrives on collaboration. There’s no strict division of labor. Instead, we operate as a cohesive unit, leveraging our strengths to support the one best suited for the task. This collaborative approach is what makes us competent. John has worked with me on and off for the last forty years. During that time, he joined the Navy and worked for several large corporations, which sent him to and paid for technical classes. He was a police officer for Gordonsville, VA, where he also

Myself

September 9, 2024

When I moved to the country in 1982, I was back working by myself, by choice. I chose to live as inexpensively as possible so I would have the time to focus on learning about myself, something I didn’t have much time for when I was building my company in Richmond. I could do this because I had a strong networking system with other artisans who would contact me when they saw the potential for my art when working on their projects. Networking was the norm before the Internet. If someone referred you, you were usually accepted on their

Shop Door

September 9, 2024

In our work, there are many small task, that at times, are quite challenging. In a single window there may be hundreds of solder joints. Solder, a mixture of 60% tin and 40% lead melts at 370 degrees. Lead came melts at 621 degrees. A soldering iron with a rheostat, will give a relative consistent heat, but when in use the temperature fluctuates. Manipulating the two metals with an ever changing heat requires skill and patience. It’s my job to say what is acceptable and what isn’t. Or as one of my mentors was fond of saying, “It’s my

Laylight

September 7, 2024

The difference between a skylight and a laylight is a skylight function as a roof window, while a laylight is flush with the ceiling of an interior space.This particular laylight was a substantial 54″x54″ in size. Since I could control the lighting, I thought a summer nightfall theme with a moon passing over treetops would be interesting. I used dark blues from Lamberts Glass for the late evening sky and various shades of our flamed worked leaves for the tree tops. A simple lighting fixture supplied the moon effect. Once again, I was faced with how to support the

Framework

September 7, 2024

This is an example of the framework I build as a “canvas” for my flame-worked windows. After I assemble the basic window with zinc, sculpt the branches with solder, and attach wires to give my window a three-dimensional look, all the metals receive a copper sulfate wash to darken them. Creating this contrast is the first step in bringing my art alive. I often think of it as a winter scene. Along the way, we have been flame-working to create the leaves for not only this project but several others. On the days I get to compose my composition

Thinking

September 7, 2024

On each project, we reach a point where we ask ourselves, “Is it finished as is?” As we gather around, it is like a four-way chess game. Each of us picks up additional pieces and places them for observation. Mostly, we communicate in grunts and groans, like a bunch of Neanderthals tasting something we just cooked but never had before. The emotion in our voices replaces everyday adjectives. We’re guys, and we’re proud of it. Our journey as artists/craftsmen provides us with the lifestyle we need to sharpen our creative skills. Creativity is no longer a sideline but necessary

Skylight

September 6, 2024

This is a kitchen skylight. I wouldn’t say I like reinforcing bars in my windows. The general rule for vertical windows is to add one every eighteen inches. I would figure two to three bars on a horizontal skylight like this one, 28″x 40″. My goal was to create a unique design that would give the illusion of looking through a skylight into the Fall tree tops above, with some of the leaves detaching from their branches and blowing in the breeze. This design left absolutely no room for straight reinforcing bars. The glass was Lamberts hand-blown from Germany.

Flameworked Commission

September 6, 2024

One of my first commissions with flame-working was a window for a home near Chicago. I have become comfortable working with people who live long distances and have never visited or met. Communication is quick and easy with text, emails, and a camera in almost everyone’s pocket. Samples sent through the mail and emailed sketches are efficient and leave a communication record that acts as a contract between two parties, especially after paying a deposit. Most clients come to me with a design concept and color preferences. They often facilitate a connection with the individual responsible for installing my

Translucency

September 5, 2024

Around twenty years ago, I became bored with stained glass. The opalescent glass no longer amused me. It was dull and too consistent to be interesting. I often found myself drawn to nature’s translucency, especially sunlight filtering through treetops. Whatever the season, the ever-changing light and shadows and the flickering of color held my interest. I explored impressionist paintings to see how other artists interpreted this phenomenon with quick brush strokes, an almost reckless approach that brought a fresh, emotional feeling to the canvas. I wanted to create windows like they create paintings. I wanted a background of subtle

Studies

September 4, 2024

Making studies is an excellent way to learn and show clients what I can do. I can get by now with only showing completed work, but in my earlier years, it was impossible to produce the volume of work needed to show finished pieces. I could create an excellent study in a day. Whether selling through commissions, galleries, or shows, I always work partly within someone else’s aesthetics to sell my work. I do commission work because I work with only one or two people or a small group. Even after they have their input, I’m in charge of

Reputation

September 3, 2024

Sometimes, I make my work much more complicated than it needs to be. I have met my obligation to my client. I’m nearing where I need to be to pay my cost plus myself, but I feel the need to push past it. I’ve learned something along the way, and I want to include it in this window. I rationalize this by telling myself that this is my marketing plan. By doing better work now, I can charge more for commissions in the future. It does work; it just takes a long time. I also work in an old

Commissions

September 3, 2024

Have you seen the reels on social media where the couple is traveling and the wife—it’s always the wife—is saying, “Shouldn’t we be in the other lane? Do you see the bicyclist? Did you mean to park this far away?” This is what the life of a commissioned artist is like. And then there’s the client who says, “Please make us one of your windows for our dining room. We’re going to Vail. Send us a bill.” And, of course, everything in between. All of these take patience. Total freedom is the hardest. I want them to be pleased,

Drawing

September 3, 2024

Between my period of making stained glass window ornaments and starting to create simple lamps and windows, I began to feel the need to be able to draw. I could do simple, mechanical type drawings, but I wanted to express my more creative ideas. I looked through many how-to books on the subject, along with sketches of the masters, to get an idea of how I wanted to teach myself. I ran across a book at a yard sale: Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Dr. Betty Edwards offered groundbreaking insight into how to teach yourself. It

Burnout

September 3, 2024

My mind likes to work 24/7. It probably has 15-20 of these “snippets” in the works now. It’s not nurotic it just has a good work ethic. I learned many years ago that when an idea appears, I write it down and let my subconscious go to work. My subconscious doesn’t like having an unsolved problem. There are 86 billion neurons traveling between 156 to 270 miles per hour, and they live right next to each other. When some of those neurons have an idea, they flash it into my conscious mind. By flash, I mean a nanosecond or

Unitarian

September 3, 2024

This is the window I was assembling in my last snippet. Fifteen years ago, I created this window for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, VA. The glass was hand-blown in Germany by the Lamberts Glass Company. They make around 5,000 different colors; I have access to around 1500. The glass has striations and bubbles, which bring it to life and separate it from the other materials in the architecture. When I made this window, I mainly used zinc in my work. I like zinc because it makes such straight lines and nice curves. It also is much stronger

Protecting Old Church Windows

August 30, 2024

About half of my work over the years has been with churches, creating new windows, repairing old ones, and installing protective coverings. New stained glass windows are a challenging way to make a living. We must meet with committees, collaborate on designs, create sketches, seek approval, find and select suitable materials, and present for final approval. Designing is the most critical phase of the project. I’m working with a captive audience who will view them for generations, and it bears my name. Restoration is almost always straightforward. You replace broken glass, solder broken joints, and clean up. For the

Fork Union Motor Lodge & Restaruant Virginia

August 29, 2024

I moved from Richmond to Bremo Bluff, VA, in 1982. My new home was a 1906 farmhouse on seven acres five miles from Fork Union, VA. I was thirty-two years old and living by myself, and I enjoyed my solitude at that point in my life. Coming from the city after closing my company, I needed a break from the stress of employees, clients, bookkeeping, taxes, and the never-ending roller coaster of life as I thought it should be. I started with visions of developing a sizeable company. After building up to five employees, I realized Management wasn’t for

The Red-Headed Little Girl

August 28, 2024

When I was in the third grade, I couldn’t read my teacher’s writing on the blackboard. I would walk up the side of the room to where the front desks were, but even then I could barely make out the words. I even asked the teacher if she would write larger. Her response was,the letters were large enough. Back then, my hair was auburn, the color of pine needles. Behind me was a little redheaded girl with glasses. We both had more than our share of freckles. One day, just out of curiosity, I asked if I could look

When I Was 9

August 27, 2024

When I was around nine, I wanted to be a farmer. My parents “gave” me a section of our suburban backyard to create my own littlesanctuary where I raised rabbits, pheasants, bantams and a few ducks. I learned that the Dept. of Agriculture had phablets on just about every facet of farming. Most were free, a few in the five to ten cents range and one was twenty cents. I had stacks, all around my bedroom. For several years I lived vicariously, pouring over the pages and absorbing the photographs. I loved the freedom to follow my imagination. I

Eddie Jones

August 19, 2024

When I was 15, I worked after school and during the summers for Eddie Jones. Eddie was about 40 years older than me. He was a sheet metal mechanic and had his shop in his back yard in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. Although county laws would never allow something like this today, or as Eddie was fond of saying, “I was grandfathered in.” Sheet metal work, back then, was quite challenging. One would pick a 3′ x 7′ sheet of metal off of a pile on the floor and place it on a work table. From there it was

John Williams

August 19, 2024

I was 34, and John was around 18 when this photograph was taken. John showed up one day a few years earlier with his shop teacher from Buckingham High School. He had just cut his foot on a rock while playing in the James River and was hobbling around on crutches. I don’t know the whole story, but somehow, the shop teacher thought an introduction between the two was a good idea. At this time, to survive financially, I was beveling glass for other studios and my commissions. Beveling is tough work. Holding a piece of glass over rotating

Mr. Toot

August 19, 2024

Mr. Toot was my eighth-grade shop teacher. He was a gentle man of small stature, soft-spoken, and always with a thoughtful message. Even as a fourteen-year-old, I sensed he went into teaching because he felt the “calling” to share his knowledge and to make the world a better place. I remember observing him as some of my classmates challenged him. He would start off with a kind request to change their behavior, then proceed to a more hard-line approach, which his demeanor was not designed for. Mr. Toot’s approach to teaching woodworking was to select a project that required one

Creating and Restoring Art Glass since 1972.