In 2004, I collaborated with Sean Flaherty to create this icon for St. Thomas Aquinas’s Chapel in Charlottesville, Virginia. I did the craftsmanship; Sean did the painting. I tried painting early in my career and learned that I didn’t think I would ever be good at it. Painting is a complex craft. It involves choosing colors and brushes, mixing the medium, coordinating firing temperatures, in this case, acid etching, and having an innate ability to see and create. It is also very time-consuming; there isn’t much time for anything else. Sean was one of the best and had my

This window was created last year for the transom over the entrance doors to Stella Maris Catholic Chapel in Ocracoke, North Carolina. Stella Maris translates to Star of the Sea. In the beginning, we and our patron explored many possibilities. Drawings, glass samples, and quick mock-ups became routine for several months. Reflecting on my younger days, I realize that I might have found the process of ‘jumping through all these hoops’ frustrating. However, experiences like this have taught me that such challenges often lead to our best work. There are five stages in beveling. Rough grind with coarse grit,

I collaborated with Missy Scott on this window around 2004 for Grace Episcopal Church here in Bremo Bluff, Virginia. We created this window for a gentleman in memory of his wife. Missy and I worked together on the design; she painted, and I did the craftwork. I’ve only created a few memorial windows in my life. They are very touching moments that only require me to listen. The donor comes prepared with many memories; my job is to execute them in glass. The couple were local farmers. Genuine people whom one likes from the first time you meet them.

This was my first church—Amelia Presbyterian in Amelia, Virginia, completed around 1978. At this time, I was working with an artist, John Dale. John was the artist, and I made the windows. I was twenty-seven years old, strong, and perseverant. By this time, I knew this would be my life’s work and that if I were to survive, I would have to start thinking as a craftsman and a businessman. I was also challenged by learning to work with another creative individual. There were many problems to solve, most in unfamiliar areas. Working on such a large scale made

Saint Andrews Episcopal Church in Burke, Virginia, contacted me three years ago. They had a donor who wished to gift the church a stained glass window, a significant contribution to their upcoming fifty anniversary and in remembrance of the donor’s daughter. When I arrived, I first noticed that every exterior window in the church contained stained glass windows. These were contemporary windows with vibrant colors, mostly depicting the evolution of the world and the Christian faith. During the first meeting, the artist, donor, and stained glass committee engage in a thorough evaluation process. I believe that everyone involved is

Around thirty years ago, I created this window for Grace Episcopal Church in Bremo Bluff, Virginia. It is one of my favorites. In my never-ending pursuits of always trying to bring something new to my art, I studied old jewelry designs for the borders. The cross was a given. Then all II had to do was tie the two together. I glue-chipped the background to keep the design all on one plane. After installation, we installed a chandelier behind the window. As one walked around the sanctuary, the lights danced around on the bevels, giving the window, as one

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