Inspiration for new work comes in odd ways at odd times. While visiting a medical office, a photograph of a lighthouse on the wall caught my eye.
While chatting with the technician, I learned it was of the Brant Point lighthouse on Nantucket, and the location was a special place for them – their engagement.
I’ve never had the opportunity to visit the lighthouse, but judging from the google search results, it seems to be pretty popular with the artist crowd.
Thought I’d join the party, though it took me a bit of time to envision how a lighthouse might be rendered in stained glass. The medium provides very limited opportunity for detail (blades of grass are definitely out), as are individual dimples in the sand. But things like a jumble of rocks are in, color variations in the sand, the water, and the sky are definitely in. I suppose that’s the creative process.
As the project was progressing through the cutting stage, my vision for the lamp at the top of the lighthouse began to evolve.
In the original pattern shown here, I’d envisioned gray, transluscent glass separated into four segments (visible in the pattern).
That plan morphed into only two sections, same gray glass, with a small piece of yellow representing the lamp itself, and the addition of a “light ray” off to the left.
Though, that still didn’t feel right, Even that initial light ray didn’t feel right, so a bit of re-work to the final version, shown below with the copper foil, but not yet soldered nor with the finished edge banding.
The completed piece is shown below – soldered, with the edge banding, and hanging in the window.
I’m thinking of exploring a lighthouse theme – seems there’s at least a dozen here on the Cape. Perhaps for a “lighthouse series” – what do you think?
