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Stained Glass Windows and Panels
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This is the first of a two piece commission that flanks a living room fireplace. The client wished for a woman in the impressionist style. She stands with parasol in hand near the edge of a cliff gazing down upon a river and wooded horizon. The hem of the woman's dress is created using decorative soldering to suggest a lacy fabric.
This is the complimentary panel to the piece above. Sojourner's Tale works on two levels for me. The abstract design is taken from the hem of Sojourner's dress. I enlarged that pattern and used the same colors and glass found in Sojourner.
On another level the piece is my representation in glass of Sojourner's life, and my answer to the question: Using glass, how do you suggest in abstract, a colorful, lyrical, joyful life?
The lady in red was inspired by the lady in pink above.
While visiting my studio a client spied the lady in pink on
my drafting table and immediately commissioned the lady in red.
This version of Sojourner is installed in the top half of
a bathroom door, in a Victorian style home. The panel
was modified to fit a shorter, wider space.
This panel was created as a birthday gift from a brother to
his sister. She loves plants, especially the lotus flower, and
Victoriana, so the design was enjoyably executed
by me. One year I may get the courage to try growing
a lotus in my backyard pond!
This photograph unfortunately doesn't convey the translucent
quality of the olive green and royal blue border glass.
This was originally intended to be 1 of a 4-panel sliding door series that got side-tracked. The prototype panel was created, but the large doors weren't commissioned by the client. A tree and stream are suggested by the placement of large and small colored and clear blocks.
The client was of course a Frank Lloyd Wrightophile!
This is the first panel I made after finishing stained glass classes. Carousel Ram and Victurquiana below are the only two pieces not of my own design. After finishing the glass classes I was hesitant to design my first piece so I instead found a pattern I liked. This first piece took 124 hours to create!
This is the second panel I made after finishing stained glass classes. I wasn't quite ready to strike out on my own with an original design. I chose one of my favorite shades of blue - turquoise! This panel hangs in a place of honor in my living room where I enjoy it each evening!
This is a four window series done for a client who loves carousels. The series was designed
with an eye toward recreating the candy colors often seen on carousels. These windows are installed in
the entry foyer of a traditional Victorian home. For the transom window I used a traditional Victorian fan motif.
The carousel horse and complimentary side lites are a contemporary design. The carousel horse is installed in the front door. I added decorative soldering on the horse's ornamentation, while the plume on the head is made using my technique of placing sheet copper foil over the glass and carving a design on the foil to expose the glass underneath, and then running a solder bead over the remaining foil. Flanking the horse are lites that complement the decorative motif used on the horse's chest.
Transom: 12"H x 24"W
Carousel Steed: 40"H x 24"W
Side Lite: 30"H x 24"
I think this is my most inspired creation. This piece is finished on both sides and is meant
to be hung so the viewer can walk around the piece. "Before the Fall" is my interpretation of the
Garden of Eden at the moment the serpent has succeeded in convincing Eve to taste the apple of
knowledge. The serpent shown in the picture is made using a multi-color irridized glass that glistens in natural light.
The other side of the serpent is a black glass, representing the dual nature of the creature, both it's beauty which
enthralls and entices while also being a messenger of evil, convincing Eve to act against the will of God.
My odd pose is courtesy of our efforts to effectively photograph the piece so that both the opaque and translucent
glass is shown to their best in natural light.
Trapezoidal Panel
This piece was created for and sold at an arts auction held for a non-profit organization of attorneys that work in the arts and
entertainment field providing free legal assistance to struggling artists.
This abstract was created as a wedding gift for a good friend of mine. The piece has survived, however, the marriage hasn't. The two photos show how the piece changes when viewed in artificial light (left) or natural light (right).
28"H x 18"W
This piece has been commissioned a number of times as a wedding gift.
I've done it in pastels, brights,
earth tones, and complementary shades of blues. With each new creation the piece takes on a different
tone, one I hope has suited the couple it has been created for.
20"H x 18"W
This panel was created in response to my Christian sentiment. I was raised a Catholic, however, I feel as close to God in a natural setting as in a church. Light streaming through stained glass windows and waiting on God aids more in that feeling than sitting through a mass. I live with this piece and enjoy it every day. Unfortunately the photo doesn't convey the translucent quality of all the glass which appears opaque and garish here.
The beaded rosary and small red cross are attached to the panel and hang in front of the piece.
Blizzard was created during an emotionally tumultuous period of my life. The piece works on several levels for me. On one level the piece is my interpretation of what one snowflake may look like immensely magnified. The shape of the snowflake is also similar to the logo of a company I worked at for 2 1/2 years all the while hoping to move from a temporary position into a permanent one. This waiting created both anxiety and frustration for me which I interpreted as a blizzard of emotion swirling in and around me, and which I was able to reconcile on some level by creating this panel.
Occasionally I will be asked to do some restoration work. This is a 100 year old window that was restored for a Methodist church in Berlin, New Jersey. The original piece was constructed with lead came, however, when restored I used the copper foil technique because I believe it increases the overall structural strength of the work.
Dear Guest,
This is just a sampling of my work. Many of my pieces have not been photographed since I'm often working on a tight schedule that does not permit a week or two delay while the piece is professionally photographed.
Please keep in mind that many of the photographs do not adequately convey the ethereal translucent quality of the glass used, since it's very difficult to photograph glass properly.
If there is some special subject or motif you'd like created in glass please contact me and I'd be happy to design a piece to fit your taste.
I hope you enjoy your visit to my creative virtual home!
Leah Nanci Targon
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(c) 1992-2003
Leah Nanci Targon. All rights reserved.